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THE 

Qreat  oApostasy 


CONSIDERED  IN  THE  LIGHT  OF 
SCRIPTURAL  AND  SECULAR 
HISTORY 


By 

DR.  JAMES  E.  TALMAGE 
D.  Sc.  D„  Ph.  D.,  F.  R.  S.  E. 


THE 

Qreat  oApostasy 


Considered  in  the  Light  of  Scriptural 
and  Secular  History 


JAN  31  1990 

Logical 


.  By  / 
DR.  JAMES  E.  TALMAGE 
D.  Sc.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  F.  R.  S.  E. 


MISSION  ADDRESSES 


Published  by  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
Further  information  and  literature  may  be  had  without  cost  or  obli- 
gation by  writing  to  any  of  the  following: 

Missionary  Committee:  47  East  South  Temple,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
Bureau  of  Information:  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
Argentine:  Virrey  del  Pino  2130,  Buenos  Aires  26,  Argentina. 
Australian:^  412  Mont  Albert  Road,  Mont  Albert  E.  10,  Victoria,  Aus- 

Brazilian:   Rua  Itapeva,  378  (Bela  Vista)  Caixa  Postal  862,  Sao  Paulo 
Brazil. 

British:  149  Nightingale  Lane,  Belham,  Ldn.  S.W.  12,  England 
California:  2067  So.  Hobart  Blvd.,  Los  Angeles  18,  California. 
Canadian:  133  Lyndhurst  Avenue,  Toronto  10,  Ontario,  Canada. 
Central  American:    Apartado  587,  Guatemala,  C.  A. 
Central  Atlantic  States:  102  23rd  Street  S.E.,  Roanoke,  Virginia. 
Central  States:  302  South  Pleasant  Street,  Independence,  Missouri. 
Danish:  Priorvej  12,  Copenhagen,  Denmark. 

East  Central  States:  1466  Cherokee  Road,  Louisville  4,  Kentucky. 
East  German:  Am  Hirschsprung  60,  (American  Sector)  Berlin-Dahlem, 
Germany. 

Eastern  States:  973  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City  21,  New  York. 
Finnish:  Ullankatu  3-A-4,  Helsinki,  Finland. 
French:  3  Rue  de  Lota,  Paris  16,  France. 
Great  Lakes:  323  West  Woodland,  Fort  Wayne  6,  Indiana. 
Hawaiian:  1594  South  Beretania  Street,  Box  5306,  Honolulu  14,  Oahu, 
T.H. 

Japanese:  P.O.  Box  412,  Central  Tokyo,  Japan. 

Mexican:  Monte  Libano  520  Lomas  de  Chapultepec,  Mexico,  D.F. 

Netherlands:  Laan  van  Poot  292,  The  Hague,  Holland. 

New  England:  100  Brattle  St.,  Cambridge  38,  Massachusetts,  P.O.  Box  87. 

New  Zealand:  514  Remura  Road,  Auckland  S.E.  2,  New  Zealand. 

North  Central  States:  2219  Pillsbury  Avenue,  Minneapolis  4,  Minnesota. 

Northern  California:  5  Buena  Vista  Terrace,  San  Francisco  17,  Calif. 

Northern  States:  6011  N.  Sheridan  Road,  Chicago  40,  Illinois. 

Northwestern  States:  1975  So.  E.  30th  Avenue,  Portland  15,  Oregon. 

Norwegian :  Osterhaugsgaten  27,  Oslo,  Norway. 

Samoan :  P.O.  Box  197,  Apia  Upolu,  Samoa. 

South  African:  Cumorah  Main  Road,  Mowbray,  CP.  South  Africa. 
Southern  States:  485  North  Avenue,  N.E.  Atlanta  5,  Georgia. 
Southwest  Indian:  108  East  Aztec,  Gallup,  New  Mexico,  P.O.  Box  672. 
Spanish-American:  3531  Fort  Boulevard,  El  Paso,  Texas. 
Swedish:  Svartensgatan  3,  Stockholm,  Sweden. 
Swiss-Austrian:  Leimenstrasse  49,  Basel,  Switzerland. 
Tahitian :   Ave  du  Commandant-Chesse,  Papeete,  Tahiti. 
Texas-Louisiana:  5514  Caroline  Street,  Houston  4,  Texas. 
Tongan :  Box  58,  Nukualofa,  Tongatabu,  Tonga,  F.I. 
Uruguay:   Calle  Brito  del  Pino  1525,  Montevideo,  Uruguay. 
West  Central  States:  1020  N.  31st  Street,  Billings,  Montana. 
West  German:  Bettinastrasse  55  (American  Sector),  Frankfurt  a/main, 
Germany. 

Western  Canadian:  11964  100th  Avenue,  Edmonton,  Alberta,  Canada. 
Western  States:  709  Clarkson,  Denver  3,  Colorado. 


Deseret  News  Press  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

(Printed  in  U.  S.  A.) 


PREFACE. 


The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  proclaims  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Gospel  and  the  re-establishment  of  the  Church  as  of  old,  in  this, 
the  Dispensation  of  the  Fullness  of  Times.  Such  restoration  and  re-estab- 
lishment, with  the  modern  bestowal  of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  would  be  un- 
necessary and  indeed  impossible  had  the  Church  of  Christ  continued 
among  men  with  unbroken  succession  of  Priesthood  and  power,  since  the 
"meridian  of  time." 

The  restored  Church  affirms  that  a  general  apostasy  developed  during 
and  after  the  apostolic  period,  and  that  the  primitive  Church  lost  its  pow- 
er, authority,  and  graces  as  a  divine  institution,  and  degenerated  into  an 
earthly  organization  only.  The  significance  and  importance  of  the  great 
apostasy,  as  a  condition  precedent  to  the  re-establishment  of  the  Church 
in  modern  times,  is  obvious.  If  the  alleged  apostasy  of  the  primitive 
Church  was  not  a  reality,  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
is  not  the  divine  institution  its  name  proclaims. 

The  evidence  of  the  decline  and  final  extinction  of  the  primitive 
Church  among  men  is  found  in  scriptural  record  and  in  secular  history.  In 
the  following  pages  the  author  has  undertaken  to  present  a  summary  of  the 
most  important  of  these  evidences.  In  so  doing  he  has  drawn  liberally 
from  many  sources  of  information,  with  due  acknowledgment  of  all  cita- 
tions. This  little  work  has  been  written  in  the  hope  that  it  may  prove  of 
service  to  our  missionary  elders  in  the  field,  to  classes  and  quorum  organi- 
zations engaged  in  the  study  of  theological  subjects  at  home,  and  to 
earnest  investigators  of  the  teachings  and  claims  of  the  restored  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

November  1,  1909.  JAMES  E.  TALMAGE. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 

The  first  edition  of  "The  Great  Apostasy"  was  issued  by  the  Deseret 
News,  Salt  Lake  City,  in  November,  1909,  and  comprised  ten  thousand 
copies.  The  author  has  learned,  with  a  pleasure  that  is  perhaps  pardon- 
able, of  the  favorable  reception  accorded  the  little  work  by  the  missionary 
elders  of  the  Church,  and  by  the  people  among  whom  these  devoted  serv- 
ants are  called  to  labor.  The  present  issue  of  twenty  thousand  copies 
constitutes  the  second  edition,  and  is  published  primarily  for  use  in  the 
missionary  field.  The  text  of  the  second  edition  is  practically  identical 
with  that  of  the  first. 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 

February,  1910.  JAMES  E.  TALMAGE. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction:  The  Establishment  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Conditions  at  beginning  of  Christian  era.— Religious  systems,  Jewish, 
Pagan,  and  Samaritan.— Jewish  sects  and  parties.— Law  of  Moses  ful- 
filled and  superseded.— Apostles  chosen  and  ordained.— Apostolic  ad- 
ministration.—The  Church  established  on  the  western  hemisphere.— 
The  "meridian  of  time."  7 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Apostasy  Predicted. 

The  Church  has  not  continued  in  unbroken  succession.— Divine  fore- 
knowledge.—The  divine  purposes  not  thwarted.— Apostasy  from  the 
Church  compared  with  the  apostasy  of  the  Church.— Specific  pre- 
dictions concerning  the  apostasy.— The  Law  of  Moses  a  temporary 
measure.— Isaiah's  fateful  prophecy.— Predictions  by  Jesus  Christ— 
By  Paul.— By  Peter.— By  Jude.— By  John  the  Revelator.— Apostasy 
on  the  western  hemisphere  predicted   19 


CHAPTER  III. 

Early  Stages  of  the  Apostasy. 

The  apostasy  recognized  in  apostolic  age.— Testimony  of  Paul.— "Mystery 
of  iniquity."— Summary  of  Paul's  utterances  concerning  early  apostasy. 
—Testimony  of  Jude.— of  John  the  Revelator.— Messages  to  the 
churches  of  Asia.— Nicolaitanes  denounced.— Testimonies  of  Hegesip- 
pus.— Early  schisms  in  the  Church.— Declension  of  the  Church  before 
close  of  first  century.— Apostasy  on  the  western  hemisphere.— Des- 
truction of  Nephite  nation  by  the  Lamanites   34 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Causes  of  the  Apostasy.— External  Causes  Considered. 

Causes  of  the  apostasy,  external  and  internal.— Persecution  as  an  external 
cause.— Judaism  and  Paganism  arrayed  against  the  Church.— Judaistic 
persecution.— Predictions  of  Judaistic  opposition.— Fulfillment  of  the 
same.— Destruction  of  Jerusalem   45 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Causes  of  the  Apostasy.— External  Causes  Continued. 

Pagan  persecution.— Roman  opposition  to  Christianity,  explanation  of.— 
Number  of  persecutions  by  the  Romans.— Persecution  under  Nero.— 
Under  Domitian.— Under  Trajan.— Under  Marcus  Aurelius.— Later 
persecutions.— Persecutions  under  Diocletian.— Extent  of  the  Diocle- 
tian persecution.— Diocletian  boast  that  Christianity  was  extinct.— 
The  Church  taken  under  state  protection  by  Constantine  the  Great.. 52 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Causes  of  the  Apostasy.— Internal  Causes. 

Diverse  effect  of  persecution.— Imprudent  zeal  of  some.— Return  to  idolatry 
by  others.— "Libels"  attesting  individual  apostasy.— Sad  condition  of 
the  Church  in  third  century.— Testimony  as  to  conditions  of  apostasy 
at  this  period.— Decline  of  the  Church  antedates  the  conversion  of 
Constantine.— Departure  from  Christianity.— Specific  causes  of  the 
growing  apostasy   64 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

First  specific  cause:  "The  corrupting  of  the  simple  principles  of  the  gospel 
by  the  admixture  of  the  so-called  philosophic  systems  of  the  times."— 
Judaistic  perversions.— Admixture  of  Gnosticism  with  Christianity.— 
Gnosticism  unsatisfying.— New  platonics.— Doctrine  of  the  Logos.— 
"The  World."— Sibellianism.— Arianism.— The  Council  of  Nice  and  its 
denunciation  of  Arianism.— The  Nicene  Creed.— The  Creed  of  Athan- 
asius.— Perverted  view  of  life.— Disregard  for  truth   74 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

Second  specific  cause.  "Unauthorized  additions  to  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Church,  and  the  introduction  of  vital  changes  in  essential  ordinances." 
Simplicity  of  early  form  of  worship  ridiculed.— Formalism  and  super- 
stition increase.— Adoration  of  images,  etc.— Changes  in  baptismal 
ordinance.— Time  of  its  administration  restricted.— Ministrations  of  the 
exorcist  introduced.— Immersion  substituted  by  sprinkling.— Infant 
baptism  introduced.— Changes  in  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
—Fallacy  of  transubstantiation.— Adoration  of  the  "host."— Proof  of 
apostate  condition  of  the  Church  86 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

Tliird  specific  cause:  "Unauthorized  changes  in  church  organization  and 
government."— Early  form  of  church  government.— Equality  of  the 
bishops.— Origin  of  synods  or  church  councils.— Bishops  of  Rome 
claimed  supremacy.— Title  of  Pope  assumed.— Secular  authority  assert- 
ed by  the  Pope.— Indulgences  or  pardons.— Infamous  doctrines  of  su- 
pererogation.—The  traffic  in  indulgences.— Tetzel  the  papal  agent— 
Copy  of  an  indulgence.— The  sin  of  blasphemy.— Scripture-reading 
forbidden  to  the  people.— Draper's  arraignment  of  the  papacy  98 


CHAPTER  X. 

Results  of  the  Apostasy— Its  Sequel. 

Revolts  against  the  Church  of  Rome.— John  Wycliffe  in  England.— John 
Huss  and  Jerome  of  Prague.— The  Reformation  inaugurated.— Martin 
Luther,  his  revolt;  his  excommunication;  his  defense  at  Worms.— The 
Protestants.— Zwingle  and  Calvin.— The  Inquisition.— Zeal  of  the  re- 
formers.—Rise  of  the  Church  of  England.— Divine  over-ruling  in  the 
events  of  the  Reformation.— The  "Mother  Church"  apostate.— Fallacy 
of  assuming  human  origin  of  divine  authority.— Priestly  orders  of 
Church  of  England  declared  invalid  by  "Mother  Church."— The 
apostasy  admitted  and  affirmed.— Wesley's  testimony.— Declaration 
by  Church  of  England.— Divine  declaration  of  the  apostasy.— The  se- 
quel.—The  Revelator's  vision  of  the  Restoration.— The  Church  re- 
established in  the  nineteenth  century   112 


COPYRIGHT 
by 

JAMES  E.  TALMAGE 
1909. 


The  Great  Apostasy 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction:  The  Establishment  of  the  Church 
of  Christ. 

1.  A  belief  common  to  all  sects  and  churches  professing 
Christianity  is  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Savior  and  Redeemer  of 
the  human  race,  established  His  Church  upon  the  earth  by 
personal  ministration  in  the  meridian  of  time.  Ecclesiastical 
history,  as  distinguished  from  secular  history,  deals  with  the 
experiences  of  the  Church  from  the  time  of  its  establishment. 
The  conditions  under  which  the  Church  was  founded  first  claim 
our  attention. 

2.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  the  Jews,  in 
common  with  most  other  nations,  were  subjects  of  the  Roman 
empire.— (See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.)  They  were  allowed  a 
considerable  degree  of  liberty  in  maintaining  their  religious 
observances  and  national  customs  generally,  but  their  status 
was  far  from  that  of  a  free  and  independent  people. 

3.  The  period  was  one  of  comparative  peace,— a  time 
marked  by  fewer  wars  and  less  dissension  than  die  empire  had 
known  for  many  years.  These  conditions  were  favorable  for  the 
mission  of  the  Christ,  and  for  the  founding  of  His  Church  on 
earth. 

4.  The  religious  systems  extant  at  the  time  of  Christ's 
earthly  ministry  may  be  classified  in  a  general  way  as  Jewish 
and  Pagan,  with  a  minor  system— the  Samaritan— which  was 
essentially  a  mixture  of  the  other  two.  The  children  of  Israel 
alone  proclaimed  the  existence  of  the  true  and  living  God;  they 
alone  looked  forward  to  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  whom  mis- 
takenly they  awaited  as  a  prospective  conqueror  coming  to 
crush  the  enemies  of  their  nation.  All  other  nations,  tongues, 


8 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


and  peoples  bowed  to  pagan  deities,  and  their  worship  com- 
prised naught  but  the  sensual  rites  of  heathen  idolatry.  Pagan- 
ism—(See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.)  was  a  religion  of  form  and 
ceremony,  based  on  polytheism— a  belief  in  the  existence  of  a 
multitude  of  gods,  which  deities  were  subject  to  all  the  vices 
and  passions  of  humanity,  while  distinguished  by  immunity 
from  death.  Morality  and  virtue  were  unknown  as  elements  of 
heathen  service;  and  the  dominant  idea  in  pagan  worship  was 
that  of  propitiating  the  gods,  in  the  hope  of  averting  their 
anger  and  purchasing  their  favor. 

5.  The  Israelites,  or  Jews,  as  they  were  collectively  known, 
thus  stood  apart  among  the  nations  as  proud  possessors  of 
superior  knowledge,  with  a  lineage  and  a  literature,  with  a 
priestly  organization  and  a  system  of  laws,  that  separated  and 
distinguished  them  as  a  people  at  once  peculiar  and  exclusive. 
While  the  Jews  regarded  their  idolatrous  neighbors  with  ab- 
horrence and  contempt,  they  in  turn  were  treated  with  derision 
as  fanatics  and  inferiors. 

6.  But  the  Jews,  while  thus  distinguished  as  a  people  from 
the  rest  of  the  world,  were  by  no  means  a  united  people;  on  the 
contrary,  they  were  divided  among  themselves  on  matters  of  re- 
ligious profession  and  practice.  In  the  first  place,  there  was  a 
deadly  enmity  between  the  Jews  proper  and  the  Samaritans. 
These  latter  were  a  mixed  people  inhabiting  a  distinct  province 
mostly  between  Judea  and  Galilee,  largely  made  up  of  Assyrian 
colonists  who  had  inter-married  with  the  Jews.  While  affirm- 
ing their  belief  in  the  Jehovah  of  the  Old  Testament,  they 
practiced  many  rites  belonging  to  the  paganism  they  claimed 
to  have  forsaken,  and  were  regarded  by  the  Jews  proper  as 
unorthodox  and  reprobate. 

7.  Then  the  Jews  themselves  were  divided  into  many  con- 
tending sects  and  parties,  among  which  the  principal  were  the 
Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees;  and  beside  these  we  read  of 
Essenes,  Galileans,  Herodians,  etc. 

8.  The  Jews  were  living  under  the  Law  of  Moses,  the  out- 
ward observance  of  which  was  enforced  by  priestly  rule,  while 
the  spirit  of  the  law  was  very  generally  ignored  by  priest  and 
people  alike.  That  the  Mosaic  law  was  given  as  a  preparation 
for  something  greater  was  afterward  affirmed  by  Paul,  in  his 


THE  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED 


9 


epistle  to  the  saints  at  Galatia:  "Wherefore  the  law  was  our 
schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ."— (Galatians  3:24.)  And 
the  fact  that  a  higher  law  was  to  supersede  the  lower  is  abund- 
antly shown  in  the  Savior's  own  teachings:  "Ye  have  heard  that 
it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  kill;  and  who- 
soever shall  kill  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment:  But  I  say 
unto  you,  that  whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother  without  a 
cause  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment:  ""Ye  have  heard 
that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery:  But  I  say  unto  you  that  whosoever  looketh  on  a 
woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  committed  adultery  with  her  al- 
ready in  his  heart.  000  Again,  ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been 
said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  forswear  thyself  but 
shall  perform  unto  the  Lord  thine  oaths:  But  I  say  unto  you, 
swear  not  at  all.  0  0  *  Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said, 
An  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth:  But  I  say  unto  you, 
that  ye  resist  not  evil.  *  *  **  Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been 
said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate  thine  enemy.  But 
I  say  unto  you,  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you, 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which  de- 
spitefully  use  you  and  persecute  you."— (Matthew  5:21-44;  read 
the  entire  chapter.) 

9.  These  teachings,  based  on  love,  so  different  from  the 
spirit  of  retaliation  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  under 
the  law,  caused  great  surprise  among  the  people;  yet  in  affirma- 
tion of  the  fact  that  the  law  was  not  to  be  ignored,  and  could 
only  be  superseded  by  its  fulfillment,  the  Master  said:  "Think 
not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law,  or  the  prophets:  I  am 
not  come  to  destroy  but  to  fulfill.  For  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise 
pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled.-(Matt.  5:17,  18.) 

10.  It  is  very  evident  the  Master  had  come  with  a  greater 
doctrine  than  was  then  known,  and  that  the  teachings  of  the 
day  were  insufficient.  "For  I  say  unto  you,  that  except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
-(Verse  20.) 

11.  Jesus  Himself  was  strict  in  complying  with  all  rightful 
requirements  under  the  law;  but  He  refused  to  recognize  an  ob- 


10 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


servance  of  the  letter  alone,  however  rigidly  required,  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  compliance  with  the  spirit  of  the  Mosaic  injunction. 

12.  The  excellent  teachings  and  precepts  of  true  morality 
inculcated  by  the  Christ  prepared  the  minds  of  those  who  be- 
lieved His  words  for  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  in  its  purity, 
and  for  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  Christ  as  an  earthly 
organization. 

13.  From  among  the  disciples  who  followed  Him,  some  of 
whom  had  been  honored  by  preliminary  calls,  He  chose  twelve 
men,  whom  He  ordained  to  the  apostleship:— "And  he  ordained 
twelve,  that  they  should  be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send 
them  forth  to  preach."— (Mark  3:14.)  Again:  "And  when  it 
was  day,  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples:  and  of  them  he  chose 
twelve  whom  also  he  named  apostles."— (Luke  6:13;  compare 
Matt.  10:1,  2.)  The  twelve  special  witnesses  of  Him  and  His 
work  were  sent  out  to  preach  in  the  several  cities  of  the  Jews. 
On  this,  their  first  mission,  they  were  instructed  to  confine  their 
ministrations  to  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  burden  of  their 
message  was  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."— (Matt.  10:7; 
study  the  entire  chapter.)  They  were  told  to  use  the  power 
with  which  they  had  been  invested  by  ordination,  in  preaching, 
in  healing  the  sick,  in  raising  the  dead  even,  and  in  subduing 
evil  spirits;  the  Master's  admonition  was,  "Freely  ye  have  re- 
ceived, freely  give."  They  were  to  travel  without  money  or 
provisions,  relying  upon  a  higher  power  to  supply  their  needs 
through  the  agency  of  those  to  whom  they  would  offer  the 
message  of  truth;  and  they  were  warned  of  the  possible  hard- 
ships awaiting  them  and  of  the  persecution  which  sooner  or 
later  would  surely  befall  them. 

14.  At  a  later  date  Christ  called  others  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  sent  them  out  in  pairs  to  precede  Him  and  pre- 
pare the  people  for  His  coming.  Thus  we  read  of  "the  seventy" 
who  were  instructed  in  terms  almost  identical  with  those  of  the 
apostolic  commission.— (Luke  10;  compare  with  Matt.  10.)  That 
their  investiture  was  one  of  authority  and  power  and  no  mere 
form  is  shown  by  the  success  attending  their  administrations; 
for,  when  they  returned  they  reported  triumphantly,  "Lord, 
even  the  devils  are  subject  to  us  through  thy  name."— (Luke  10: 
17.) 


THE  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED 


11 


15.  The  specific  commission  given  unto  the  apostles  at  the 
time  of  their  ordination  was  afterward  emphasized.  They  were 
the  subjects  of  the  particularly  solemn  ordinance  spoken  of  as 
the  washing  of  feet,  so  necessary  that  in  reply  to  Peter's  objec- 
tion the  Lord  said:  "If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with 
me."— (John  13:4-9.)  And  unto  the  eleven  who  had  remained 
faithful,  the  Risen  Lord  delivered  His  parting  instructions,  im- 
mediately before  the  ascension:  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  After  our  Lord's  depar- 
ture the  apostles  entered  upon  the  ministry  with  vigor:  "And 
they  went  forth,  and  preached  everywhere,  the  Lord  working 
with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  following."— 
(Mark  16:14-20;  compare  Matt.  28:19-20.) 

16.  These  scriptures  indicate  the  authority  of  the  apostles 
to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  Church  after  the  ascension  of 
the  Resurrected  Messiah.  That  Peter,  the  senior  member  of  the 
apostolic  council,  was  given  a  position  of  presidency,  appears 
from  the  Savior's  special  admonition  and  charge  on  the  shores 
of  the  Tiberian  sea."-(John  21:15-17.) 

17.  That  the  apostles  realized  that  though  the  Master  had 
gone  He  had  left  with  them  authority  and  command  to  build  up 
the  Church  as  an  established  organization,  is  abundantly 
proved  by  scripture.  They  first  proceeded  to  fill  the  vacancy  in 
the  presiding  council  or  "quorum"  of  twelve,  a  vacancy  occa- 
sioned by  the  apostasy  and  death  of  Judas  Iscariot;  and  the 
mode  of  procedure  in  this  official  act  is  instructive.  The  instal- 
lation of  a  new  apostle  was  not  determined  by  the  eleven  alone; 
we  read  that  the  disciples  (or  members  of  the  Church)  were 
gathered  together— about  a  hundred  and  twenty  in  number.  To 
them  Peter  presented  the  matter  requiring  action,  and  empha- 
sized the  fact  that  the  man  to  be  chosen  must  be  the  one  who 
had  personal  knowledge  and  testimony  of  the  Lord's  ministry, 
and  who  was  therefore  qualified  to  speak  as  a  special  witness 
of  the  Christ,  which  qualification  is  the  distinguishing  feature 
of  the  aposdeship.  "Wherefore,"  said  Peter,  "of  these  men 
which  have  companied  with  us  all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
went  in  and  out  among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of  John, 
unto  that  same  day  that  he  was  taken  up  from  us,  must  one  be 
ordained  to  be  a  witness  with  us  of  his  resurrection."— (Acts  1: 
21,  22;  read  verses  15-26  inclusive.)  We  are  further  informed 


12 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


that  two  men  were  nominated,  and  that  the  divine  power  was 
invoked  to  show  whether  either,  and  if  so,  which,  was  the 
Lord's  choice.  Then  the  votes  were  cast  "and  the  lot  fell  upon 
Matthias;  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  apostles." 

18.  It  is  evident  that  the  apostles  considered  their  council 
or  quorum  as  definitely  organized  with  a  membership  limit  of 
twelve;  and  that  the  work  of  the  Church  required  that  the  or- 
ganization be  made  complete.  Nevertheless,  we  read  of  none 
others  subsequentiy  chosen  to  fill  vacancies  in  the  council  of 
twelve.  Paul,  who  previous  to  his  conversion  was  known  as 
Saul  of  Tarsus,  received  a  special  manifestation,  in  which  he 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Risen  Lord  declaring  "I  am  Jesus  whom 
thou  persecutest,"— (Acts  9:5;  read  verses  1-22)  and  thereby  he 
became  a  special  witness  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  as  such  was  in 
truth  an  apostle,  though  we  have  no  definite  scriptural  record 
that  he  was  ever  made  a  member  of  the  council  of  twelve.  As 
showing  the  importance  of  ordination  to  office  under  the  hands 
of  duly  constituted  authorities,  we  have  the  instance  of  Paul's 
ordination.  Though  he  had  conversed  with  the  Resurrected 
Jesus,  though  he  had  been  the  subject  of  a  special  manifesta- 
tion of  divine  power  in  the  restoration  of  his  sight,  he  had 
nevertheless  to  be  baptized;  and  later  he  was  commissioned 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry  by  the  authoritative  imposition  of 
hands.-(Acts  13:1-3.) 

19.  Another  instance  of  official  action  in  choosing  and  set- 
ting apart  men  to  special  office  in  the  Church  arose  soon  after 
the  ordination  of  Matthias.  It  appears  that  one  feature  of  the 
Church  organization  in  early  apostolic  days  was  a  common 
ownership  of  material  things,  distribution  being  made  accord- 
ing to  need.  As  the  members  increased  it  was  found  imprac- 
ticable for  the  apostles  to  devote  the  necessary  attention  and 
time  to  these  temporal  matters,  so  they  called  upon  the  mem- 
bers to  select  seven  men  of  honest  report,  whom  the  aposties 
would  appoint  to  take  special  charge  of  these  affairs.  These 
men  were  set  apart  by  prayer  and  by  the  laying  on  of  hands. 
—(Acts  6:1-7.)  The  instance  is  instructive  as  showing  that  the 
apostles  realized  their  possession  of  authority  to  direct  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Church  and  that  they  observed  with  strict  fidelity 
the  principle  of  common  consent  in  the  administration  of  their 
high  office.  They  exercised  their  priestly  powers  in  the  spirit 


THE  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED 


13 


of  love,  and  with  due  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  people  over 
whom  they  were  placed  to  preside. 

20.  Under  the  administration  of  the  apostles,  and  others 
who  labored  by  their  direction  in  positions  of  lesser  authority, 
the  Church  grew  in  numbers  and  in  influence.— (See  Note  3, 
end  of  chapter.)  For  ten  or  twelve  years  after  the  ascension  of 
Christ,  Jerusalem  remained  the  headquarters  of  the  Church,  but 
branches,  or,  as  designated  in  the  scriptural  record,  separate 
"churches,"  were  established  in  the  outlying  provinces.  As  such 
branches  were  organized,  bishops,  deacons,  and  other  officers 
were  chosen,  and  doubtless  ordained  by  authority,  to  minister 
in  local  affairs.— (See  Philip.  1:1;  compare  Tim.  3:1,  2,  8,  10.) 

21.  That  the  commission  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  apostles, 
instructing  them  to  preach  the  gospel  widely,  was  executed 
with  promptness  and  zeal,  is  evident  from  the  rapid  growth  of 
the  Church  in  the  early  apostolic  times.— (Acts  6:7;  12:24;  19: 
20.)  Paul,  writing  about  A.  D.  64— approximately  thirty  years 
after  the  ascension— declares  that  the  gospel  had  already  been 
carried  to  every  nation— "preached  to  every  creature  under 
heaven"— (Col.  1:23;  compare  verse  6)  by  which  expression  the 
apostle  doubtless  means  that  the  gospel  message  had  been  so- 
generally  proclaimed,  that  all  who  would  might  learn  of  it. 

22.  Details  as  to  the  organization  of  the  Church  in  apostolic 
days  are  not  given  with  great  fulness.  As  already  shown,  the 
presiding  authority  was  vested  in  the  twelve  apostles;  and  fur- 
thermore, the  special  calling  of  the  seventies  has  received  at- 
tention; but  besides  these  there  were  evangelists,  pastors,  and 
teachers;— (Eph  4:11)  and  in  addition,  high  priests,— (Heb.  5:1- 
5)  elders,-(Acts  14:23;  25:6;  I  Peter  5:1)  bishops,-(I  Tim. 
3:1;  Titus  1:7)  etc.  The  purpose  of  these  several  offices  is  ex- 
plained by  Paul  to  be:— "For  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ."— 
( Eph.  4: 12;  read  also  verses  13-16. )  The  Church  with  its  graded 
offices  and  its  spiritual  gifts  has  been  aptly  compared  to  a  per- 
fect body  with  its  separate  organs  and  its  individual  members, 
each  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  the  whole,  yet  none  independ- 
ent of  the  rest.  As  in  the  human  organism  so  in  the  Church  of 
Christ,  no  one  with  propriety  can  say  to  another,  "I  have  no 
need  of  thee."-(See  I  Cor.  12.  See  note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 


14 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


The  Church  of  Christ  on  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

23.  We  have  seen,  on  the  evidence  of  the  Jewish  scriptures, 
how  the  Church  was  established  and  made  strong  in  Asia  and 
Europe  in  and  immediately  following  the  meridian  of  time.  The 
scriptures  cited  are  such  as  appeal  to  all  earnest  Christians;  the 
authority  is  that  of  the  New  Testament.  We  have  now  to  con- 
sider the  establishment  of  the  Church  amongst  those  who  con- 
stituted another  division  of  the  house  of  Israel— a  people  in- 
habitating  what  is  now  known  as  the  American  continent. 

24.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with  the 
Nephite  scriptures  published  to  the  world  as  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, a  brief  historical  summary  is  here  presented.— (See  Note 
5,  end  of  chapter.)  In  the  year  600  B.  C,  in  the  reign  of  King 
Zedekiah,  a  small  colony  was  led  from  Jerusalem  by  an  inspired 
prophet  named  Lehi.  These  people  were  brought  by  divine  as- 
sistance to  the  shores  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  where  they  con- 
structed a  vessel  in  which  they  crossed  the  great  waters  to  the 
western  coast  of  South  America.  They  landed  590  B.  C.  The 
people  were  soon  divided  into  two  parties,  led  respectively  by 
Nephi  and  Laman,  sons  of  Lehi;  and  these  factions  grew  into 
the  opposing  nations  known  in  history  as  Nephites  and  Laman- 
ites.  The  former  developed  while  the  latter  retrograded  in  the 
arts  of  civilization.  Nephite  prophets  predicted  the  earthly  ad- 
vent of  the  Messiah,  and  foretold  His  ministry,  crucifixion  and 
resurrection. 

25.  The  record  states  that  the  Messiah  appeared  in  person 
among  the  Nephites  on  the  western  continent.  This  was  subse- 
quent to  His  ascension  from  the  Mount  of  Olives.  A  fore- 
shadowing of  this  great  event  was  given  by  Christ  in  a  declara- 
tion made  while  yet  He  lived  on  earth.  Comparing  Himself  to 
the  good  shepherd  who  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep,  He  said: 
"And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold:  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  be 
one  fold,  and  one  shepherd."— (John  10:16;  read  verses  1-18  in- 
clusive. Compare  III  Nephi  15-21.) 

26.  According  to  the  Nephite  record,  certain  predicted 
signs  of  the  Savior's  death  had  come  to  pass.  Destructive  earth- 
quakes and  other  dread  convulsions  of  nature  had  taken  place 
in  the  west,  while  the  supreme  tragedy  was  being  enacted  on 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  WESTERN  HEMISPHERE  15 

Calvary.  The  people  of  the  land  Bountiful,  comprising  the 
northern  portion  of  South  America,  were  still  marveling  over 
the  great  convulsions  that  had  terrified  them  a  few  weeks 
earlier,  and  on  a  certain  occasion,  were  gathered  together  dis- 
cussing the  matter,  when  they  heard  a  voice  as  from  the  heav- 
ens saying:  "Behold  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased,  in  whom  I  have  glorified  my  name:  hear  ye  him."— 
(Ill  Nephi  11:7;  read  the  entire  chapter.)  Looking  up,  they 
beheld  a  man  descending.  He  was  clothed  in  a  white  robe, 
and  as  He  reached  the  earth  He  said:  "Behold,  I  am  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  the  prophets  testified  shall  come  into  the  world. 
000  Arise  and  come  forth  unto  me,  that  ye  may  thrust  your 
hands  into  my  side,  and  also  that  ye  may  feel  the  prints  of  the 
nails  in  my  hands  and  in  my  feet,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am 
the  God  of  Israel,  and  the  God  of  the  whole  earth,  and  have 
been  slain  for  the  sins  of  the  world."— (Verses  10:14.) 

27.  Having  thus  declared  Himself,  Christ  proceeded  to  in- 
struct die  people  in  the  plan  of  the  gospel  as  He  had  preached 
it,  and  in  the  constitution  of  the  Church  as  He  had  established 
it  in  the  east.  He  visited  the  Nephite  people  on  subsequent 
occasions,  taught  them  many  of  the  precepts  previously  given 
to  the  Jews;  emphasized  the  doctrine  of  baptism  and  other  ordi- 
nances essential  to  salvation;  instituted  the  sacrament  in  com- 
memoration of  His  atoning  death;  chose  and  commissioned 
twelve  aposties,  on  whom  He  conferred  authority  in  the 
Church;  explained  the  importance  of  designating  the  organi- 
zation by  its  proper  name— the  Church  of  Christ;  and  an- 
nounced the  fulfillment  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  the  fact  that 
it  was  thenceforth  superseded  by  the  gospel  embodied  within 
the  Church  as  established  by  Himself.  In  plan  of  organization, 
in  doctrine  and  precept,  and  in  prescribed  ordinances,  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  the  west  was  the  counterpart  of  the  Church 
in  Palestine. 

28.  Thus  in  the  meridian  of  time  the  Church  of  God  was 
founded  on  both  sides  of  the  earth.  In  its  pristine  simplicity 
and  beauty  it  exhibited  the  majesty  of  a  divine  institution.  It 
is  now  our  saddening  duty  to  consider  the  decline  of  spiritual 
power  within  the  Church,  and  the  eventual  apostasy  of  the 
Church  itself. 


16 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


NOTES 

1.  Conditions  at  the  Beginning  of  the  Christian  Era.  "At  the  birth  of 
Christ  this  amazing  federation  of  the  world  into  one  great  monarchy  had 
been  finally  achieved.  Augustus,  at  Rome,  was  the  sole  power  to  which  all 
nations  looked.  0  *  0  No  prince,  no  king,  no  potentate  of  any  name  could 
break  the  calm  which  such  a  universal  dominion  secured.  *  0  0  It  was  in 
such  a  unique  era  that  Jesus  Christ  was  born.  The  whole  earth  lay  hushed 
in  profound  peace.  All  lands  lay  freely  open  to  the  message  of  mercy  and 
love  which  He  came  to  announce.  Nor  was  the  social  and  moral  condition 
of  the  world  at  large,  at  the  birth  of  Christ,  less  fitting  for  His  advent  than 
the  political.  The  prize  of  universal  power  struggled  for  through  sixty  years 
of  plots  and  desolating  civil  wars,  had  been  won  at  last  by  Augustus.  Sulla 
and  Marius,  Pompey  and  Caesar  had  led  their  legions  against  each  other, 
alike  in  Italy  and  the  provinces,  and  had  drenched  the  earth  with  blood. 
Augustus  himself  had  reached  the  throne  only  after  thirteen  years  of  war, 
which  involved  regions  wide  apart.  The  world  was  exhausted  by  the  pro- 
longed agony  of  such  a  strife;  it  sighed  for  repose."  (Cunningham  Geikie, 
"The  Life  and  Works  of  Christ,"  New  York,  1894;  vol.  1.  p.  25.) 

"The  Roman  empire,  at  the  birth  of  Christ,  was  less  agitated  by  wars 
and  turmoils  than  it  had  been  for  many  years  before.  For  though  I  cannot 
assent  to  the  opinion  of  those  who,  following  the  account  of  Orosius,  main- 
tain that  the  temple  of  Janus  was  then  shut,  and  that  wars  and  discords 
absolutely  ceased  throughout  the  world,  yet  it  is  certain  that  the  period  in 
which  our  Savior  descended  upon  earth  may  be  justly  styled  the  'pacific 
age,'  if  we  compare  it  with  the  preceding  times.  And  indeed  the  tran- 
quility that  then  reigned  was  necessary  to  enable  the  ministers  of  Christ 
to  execute  with  success  their  sublime  commission  to  the  human  race." 
(Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part  I;  ch.  1:4.) 

2.  Paganism  at  the  Beginning  of  the  Christian  Era.  "Every  nation 
then  had  its  respective  gods,  over  which  presided  one  more  excellent  than 
the  rest;  yet  in  such  a  manner  that  this  supreme  deity  was  himself  con- 
trolled by  the  rigid  empire  of  the  fates,  or  what  the  philosophers  called 
'external  necessity.'  The  gods  of  the  east  were  different  from  those  of  the 
Gauls,  the  Germans,  and  the  other  northern  nations.  The  Grecian  divini- 
ties differed  widely  from  those  of  the  Egyptians,  who  deified  plants,  ani- 
mals, and  a  great  variety  of  the  productions  both  of  nature  and  of  art. 
Each  people  also  had  their  own  particular  manner  of  worshipping  and 
appeasing  their  respective  deities,  entirely  different  from  the  sacred  rites 
of  other  countries.  000  One  thing,  indeed,  which  at  first  sight  appears 
very  remarkable,  is,  that  this  variety  of  religions  and  of  gods  neither  pro- 
duced wars  nor  dissensions  among  the  different  nations,  the  Egyptians 
excepted.  Nor  is  it  perhaps  necessary  to  expect  even  them,  since  their 
wars  undertaken  for  their  gods  cannot  be  looked  upon  with  propriety  as 
wholly  of  a  religious  nature.  Each  nation  suffered  its  neighbors  to  follow 
their  own  method  of  worship,  to  adore  their  own  gods,  to  enjoy  their  own 
rites  and  ceremonies,  and  discovered  no  sort  of  displeasure  at  their  diver- 
sity of  sentiments  in  religious  matters,  There  is,  however,  little  wonder  in 
this  spirit  of  mutual  toleration,  when  we  consider  that  they  all  looked  upon 
the  world  as  one  great  empire,  divided  into  various  provinces,  over  every 
one  of  which  a  certain  order  of  divinities  presided;  and  that  therefore  none 


NOTES  17 

could  behold  with  contempt  the  gods  of  other  nations,  or  force  strangers 
to  pay  homage  to  theirs.  The  Romans  exercised  this  toleration,  in  the  am- 
plest manner.  For,  though  they  would  not  allow  any  changes  to  be  made  in 
the  religions  that  were  publicly  professed  in  the  empire,  any  new  form  of 
worship  to  be  openly  introduced,  yet  they  granted  to  their  citizens  a  full 
liberty  of  observing  in  private  the  sacred  rites  of  other  nations  and  of 
honoring  foreign  deities  (whose  worship  contained  nothing  inconsistent 
widi  the  interests  and  laws  of  the  republic)  with  feasts,  temples, 
consecrated  groves  and  such  like  testimonies  of  homage  and  respect." 
(Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,  Cent.  I,  Part  I;  ch.  1:7-8.) 

3.  Rapid  Growth  of  the  Church.  Eusebius,  who  wrote  in  the  early 
part  of  the  fourth  century,  speaking  of  the  first  decade  after  the  Savior  s 
ascension,  says: 

"Thus,  then,  under  a  celestial  influence,  and  co-operation,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Savior,  like  the  rays  of  the  sun,  quickly  irradiated  the  whole 
world.  Presently,  in  accordance  with  divine  prophecy,  the  sound  of  His  in- 
spired evangelists  and  apostles  had  gone  throughout  all  the  earth,  and  their 
words  to  the  ends  of  the  world.  Throughout  every  city  and  village,  like  a 
replenished  barn  floor,  churches  were  rapidly  abounding  and  filled  with 
members  from  every  people.  Those  who,  in  consequence  of  the  delusions 
that  had  descended  to  them  from  their  ancestors,  had  been  fettered  by  the 
ancient  disease  of  idolatrous  superstition,  were  now  liberated  by  the  power 
of  Christ,  through  the  teachings  and  miracles  of  His  messengers."  ( Euse- 
bius, "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Book  I,  ch.  3.) 

4.  Divine  Instrumentality  in  the  Apostolic  Ministry.  "When  we  con- 
sider the  rapid  progress  of  Christianity  among  the  Gentile  nations,  and  the 
poor  and  feeble  instruments  by  which  this  great  and  amazing  event  was 
immediately  affected,  we  naturally  have  recourse  to  an  omnipotent  and  in- 
visible hand,  as  its  true  and  proper  cause.  For,  unless  we  suppose  here  a 
divine  interposition,  how  was  it  possible  that  men,  destitute  of  all  human 
aid,  without  credit  or  riches,  learning,  or  eloquence,  could  in  so  short  a 
time  persuade  a  considerable  part  of  mankind  to  abandon  the  religion  of 
their  ancestors?  How  was  it  possible,  that  an  handful  of  apostles,  who  as 
fishermen  and  publicans,  must  have  been  condemned  by  their  own  nation, 
and  as  Jews  must  have  been  odious  to  all  others,  could  engage  the  learned 
and  mighty,  as  well  as  the  simple  and  those  of  low  degree,  to  forsake  their 
favorite  prejudices,  and  to  embrace  a  new  religion  which  was  an  enemy  to 
their  corrupt  passions?  And,  indeed,  there  were  undoubted  marks  of  a 
celestial  power  perpetually  attending  their  ministry.  Their  very  language, 
an  incredible  energy,  an  amazing  power  of  sending  light  into  the  under- 
standing and  conviction  into  the  heart."  (Mosheim,  'Ecclesiastical  His- 
tory Cent.  I,  Part  I,  ch.  4:8.) 

5.  Nephites  and  Lamanites.  The  progenitors  of  the  Nephite  nation 
"were  led  from  Jerusalem  600  B.  C,  by  Lehi,  a  Jewish  prophet  of  the  tribe 
of  Manasseh.  His  immediate  family,  at  the  time  of  their  departure  from 
Jerusalem,  comprised  his  wife  Sariah,  and  their  sons  Laman,  Lemuel,  Sam, 
and  Nephi;  at  a  later  stage  of  the  history,  daughters  are  mentioned,  but 
whether  any  of  these  were  born  before  the  family  exodus  we  are  not  told. 
Beside  his  own  family,  the  colony  of  Lehi  included  Zoram  and  Ishmael, 
the  latter  an  Israelite  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  Ishmael,  with  his  family, 
joined  Lehi  in  the  wilderness;  and  his  descendants  were  numbered  with 


18 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


the  nation  of  whom  we  are  speaking.  The  company  journeyed  somewhat 
east  of  south,  keeping  near  the  borders  of  the  Red  Sea;  then  changing  their 
course  to  the  eastward  crossed  the  peninsula  of  Arabia;  and  there,  on  the 
shores  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  built  and  provisioned  a  vessel  in  which  they 
committed  themselves  to  Divine  care  upon  the  waters.  Their  voyage  car- 
ried them  eastward  across  the  Indian  Ocean,  then  over  the  south  Pacific 
Ocean  to  the  western  coast  of  South  America,  whereon  they  landed  ( 590 
B.C. )  0  °  0  The  people  established  themselves  on  what  to  them  was  the 
land  of  promise;  many  children  were  born,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  gen- 
erations a  numerous  posterity  held  possession  of  the  land.  After  the  death 
of  Lehi,  a  division  occurred,  some  of  the  people  accepting  as  their  leader 
Nephi,  who  had  been  duly  appointed  to  the  prophetic  office;  while  the  rest 
proclaimed  Laman,  the  eldest  of  Lehi's  sons,  as  their  chief.  Henceforth  the 
divided  people  were  known  as  Nephites  and  Lamanites  respectively.  At 
times  they  observed  toward  each  other  fairly  friendly  relations;  but  general- 
ly they  were  opposed,  the  Lamanites  manifesting  implacable  hatred  and 
hostility  toward  their  Nephite  kindred.  The  Nephites  advanced  in  the  arts 
of  civilization,  built  large  cities,  and  established  prosperous  common- 
wealths; yet  they  often  fell  into  transgression;  and  the  Lord  chastened 
them  by  making  their  foes  victorious.  They  spread  northward,  occupying 
the  northern  part  of  South  America;  then,  crossing  the  Isthmus,  they  ex- 
tended their  domain  over  the  southern,  central,  and  eastern  portions  of 
what  is  now  the  United  States  of  America.  The  Lamanites,  while  increasing 
in  numbers,  fell  under  the  curse  of  darkness;  they  became  dark  in  skin  and 
benighted  in  spirit,  forgot  the  God  of  their  fathers,  lived  a  wild  nomadic 
life,  and  degenerated  into  the  fallen  state  in  which  the  American  Indians— 
their  lineal  descendants—  were  found  by  those  who  rediscovered  the  west- 
ern continent  in  later  times."  (The  Author,  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lect. 
14:7,  8.) 


CHAPTER  II. 


The  Apostasy  Predicted 

1.  In  proceeding  with  our  present  inquiry  we  accept  as 
demonstrated  facts  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
under  the  Savior's  personal  administration  and  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  Church  in  the  early  period  of  the  apostolic  min- 
istry. 

2.  A  question  of  the  utmost  importance  is:  Has  the  Church 
of  Christ,  thus  authoritatively  established,  maintained  an  or- 
ganized existence  upon  the  earth  from  the  apostolic  age  to  the 
present?  Other  questions  are  suggested  by  the  first.  If  the 
Church  has  continued  as  an  earthly  organization,  where  lies  the 
proof  or  evidence  of  legitimate  succession  in  priestly  authority, 
and  which  among  the  multitude  of  contending  sects  or 
churches  of  the  present  day  is  the  actual  possessor  of  the  holy 
priesthood  originally  committed  to  the  Church  by  the  Christ, 
its  founder? 

3.  Again,  have  the  spiritual  gifts  and  graces  by  which  the 
early  Church  was  characterized  and  distinguished  been  mani- 
fest on  earth  through  the  centuries  that  have  passed  since  the 
meridian  of  time;  and  if  so,  in  which  of  the  numerous  churches 
of  these  modern  times  do  we  find  such  signs  following  the  pro- 
fessed believers?— (See  Mark  16:17.) 

4.  We  affirm  that  with  the  passing  of  the  so-called  apos- 
tolic age  the  Church  gradually  drifted  into  a  condition  of 
apostasy,  whereby  succession  in  the  priesthood  was  broken; 
and  that  the  Church,  as  an  earthly  organization  operating  under 
divine  direction  and  having  authority  to  officiate  in  spiritual 
ordinances,  ceased  to  exist. 

5.  If  therefore  the  Church  of  Christ  is  to  be  found  upon 
the  earth  today  it  must  have  been  re-established  by  divine 
authority;  and  the  holy  priesthood  must  have  been  restored  to 
the  world  from  which  it  was  lost  by  the  apostasy  of  the  Primi- 
tive Church.— (See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.) 

6.  We  affirm  that  the  great  apostasy  was  foretold  by  the 
Savior  Himself  while  He  lived  as  a  Man  among  men,  and  by 
His  inspired  prophets  both  before  and  after  the  period  of  His 


20 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


earthly  probation.  And  further,  we  affirm  that  a  rational  inter- 
pretation of  history  demonstrates  the  fact  of  this  great  and  gen- 
eral apostasy. 

7.  Before  we  take  up  in  detail  the  specific  predictions  re- 
ferred to,  and  the  evidence  of  their  dread  fulfillment,  we  may 
profitably  devote  brief  attention  to  certain  general  considera- 
tions. 

8.  Respecting  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  let  it  not  be  said 
that  divine  omniscience  is  of  itself  a  determining  cause  where- 
by events  are  inevitably  brought  to  pass.  A  mortal  father  who 
knows  the  weaknesses  and  frailties  of  his  son  may  by  reason  of 
that  knowledge  sorrowfully  predict  the  calamities  and  suffer- 
ings awaiting  his  wayward  boy.  He  may  foresee  in  that  son's 
future  a  forfeiture  of  blessings  that  could  have  been  won,  loss 
of  position,  self-respect,  reputation  and  honor;  even  the  dark 
shadow  of  a  felon's  cell  and  the  night  of  a  drunkard's  grave 
may  appear  in  the  saddening  visions  of  that  fond  father's  soul; 
yet,  convinced  by  experience  of  the  impossibility  of  bringing 
about  that  son's  reform,  he  foresees  the  dread  developments 
of  the  future,  and  he  finds  but  sorrow  and  anguish  in  his 
knowledge.  Can  it  be  said  that  the  father's  foreknowledge  is 
a  cause  of  the  son's  sinful  life?  The  son,  perchance,  has 
reached  his  maturity;  he  is  the  master  of  his  own  destiny;  a 
free  agent  unto  himself.  The  father  is  powerless  to  control  by 
force  or  to  direct  by  arbitrary  command;  and  while  he  would 
gladly  make  any  effort  or  sacrifice  to  save  his  son  from  the  fate 
impending,  he  fears  for  what  seems  to  be  an  awful  certainty. 
But  surely  that  thoughtful,  prayerful,  loving  parent  does  not 
contribute  to  the  son's  waywardness  because  of  his  knowledge. 
To  reason  otherwise  would  be  to  say  that  a  neglectful  father, 
who  takes  not  the  trouble  to  study  the  nature  and  character 
of  his  son,  who  shuts  his  eyes  to  sinful  tendencies,  and  rests 
in  careless  indifference  as  to  the  probable  future,  will  by  his 
very  heartlessness  be  benefitting  his  child,  because  his  lack  of 
forethought  cannot  operate  as  a  contributory  cause  to  derelic- 
tion. 

9.  Our  Heavenly  Father  has  a  full  knowledge  of  the  nature 
and  dispositions  of  each  of  His  children,  a  knowledge  gained 
by  long  observation  and  experience  in  the  past  eternity  of  our 
primeval  childhood;  a  knowledge  compared  with  which  that 


THE  APOSTASY  PREDICTED 


21 


gained  by  earthly  parents  through  mortal  experience  with  their 
children  is  infinitesimally  small.  By  reason  of  that  surpassing 
knowledge,  God  reads  the  future  of  child  and  children,  of  men 
individually  and  of  men  collectively  as  communities  and  na- 
tions; He  knows  what  each  will  do  under  given  conditions,  and 
sees  the  end  from  the  beginning.  His  foreknowledge  is  based 
on  intelligence  and  reason;  He  foresees  the  future  as  a  state 
which  naturally  and  surely  will  be;  not  as  one  which  must  be 
because  He  has  arbitrarily  willed  that  it  shall  be. 

10.  But,  it  may  be  argued  that  in  the  illustrative  instance 
given  above— that  of  the  earthly  parent  and  the  wayward  son,— 
the  father  had  not  the  power  to  change  the  sad  course  of  sin 
whereby  his  son  is  hastening  to  ignominy  and  destruction; 
while  the  omnipotent  Father  can  save  if  He  will.  In  reply  this 
is  to  be  said:  The  Father  of  souls  has  endowed  His  children 
with  the  divine  birthright  of  free  agency;  He  does  not  and  will 
not  control  them  by  arbitrary  force;  He  impels  no  man  toward 
sin;  He  compels  none  to  righteousness.  Unto  man  has  been 
given  freedom  to  act  for  himself;  and,  associated  with  this 
independence,  is  the  fact  of  strict  responsibility  and  the  assur- 
ance of  individual  accountability.  In  the  judgment  with  which 
we  shall  be  judged,  all  the  conditions  and  circumstances  of  our 
lives  shall  be  considered.  The  inborn  tendencies  due  to  hered- 
ity, the  effect  of  environment  whether  conducive  to  good  or 
evil,  the  wholesome  teachings  of  youth,  or  the  absence  of  good 
instruction— these  and  all  other  contributory  elements  must  be 
taken  into  account  in  the  rendering  of  a  just  verdict  as  to  the 
soul's  guilt  or  innocence.  Nevertheless,  the  divine  wisdom 
makes  plain  what  will  be  the  result  with  given  conditions  oper- 
ating on  known  natures  and  dispositions  of  men;  while  every 
individual  is  free  to  choose  good  or  evil  within  the  limits  of 
the  many  conditions  existing  and  operative.— (See  Note  2,  end 
of  chapter.) 

11.  Another  matter  worthy  of  thought  in  the  present  con- 
nection is  this:  Is  the  fact  of  the  great  apostasy,— the  virtual 
overthrow  and  destruction  of  the  Church  established  by  Jesus 
Christ,— to  be  regarded  as  an  instance  of  failure  in  the  Lord's 
plans?  Is  it  a  case  of  defeat  in  which  Satan  was  victor  over 
Christ?  Consider  the  following.  What  mortal  has  yet  measured 
the  standard  by  which  Omniscience  gages  success  or  failure. 
Who  dares  affirm  that  what  man  hails  as  triumph  or  deplores 


22 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


as  defeat  will  be  so  accounted  when  tested  by  the  principles  of 
eternal  reckoning? 

12.  The  history  of  the  world  abounds  with  instances  of  the 
temporary  triumph  of  evil,  of  justice  seemingly  miscarried,  of 
divine  plans  for  the  time  being  frustrated,  of  God's  purposes 
opposed  and  their  consumation  delayed. 

13.  We  read  of  the  Lord's  covenant  with  Israel.  Unto  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob  He  declared  that  their  descendants 
should  be  a  people  chosen  for  His  special  service  among  the 
nations.  Through  that  lineage  the  Savior  of  mankind  was  to  be 
born;  in  the  posterity  of  Abraham  all  nations  of  the  earth  were 
to  be  blessed.  Blessings  beyond  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, 
beyond  the  mind  of  man  to  comprehend,  were  promised  on 
condition  of  loyal  allegiance  to  Him  who  proclaimed  Himself 
their  God  and  their  King.  Moreover  the  Lord  predicted  calam- 
ity and  suffering,  and  individual  affliction  and  national  dis- 
grace, if  Israel  departed  from  the  service  of  Jehovah  and  yield- 
ed to  the  enticements  of  their  heathen  neighbors  who  knew  not 
God.  Think  you  that  the  Lord  was  ignorant  of  the  course  His 
people  would  choose?  Did  He  fail  to  foresee  that  Israel  would 
follow  the  evil  way,  forfeiting  the  blessings  and  reaping  the 
harvest  of  sorrow?  Jehovah's  plans  failed  not,  though  the  reali- 
zation of  the  blessings  so  abundantly  promised  has  been  long 
delayed.  Equally  forceful  with  the  prediction  of  calamity  in 
case  of  sin,  was  the  promise  of  eventual  restoration  to  favor. 
The  dispersion  of  Israel  already  accomplished,  was  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  gathering  of  Israel  now  in  progress.— (See  the 
Author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  lectures  17  and  18.) 

14.  What  would  have  been  the  world's  verdict  as  to  the 
success  or  failure  of  the  mission  of  the  Christ,  had  a  vote  been 
taken  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion?  Seemingly  His  enemies 
had  triumohed;  He  who  proclaimed  Himself  the  Messiah,  the 
Son  of  God,  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  over  whom  death 
could  not  prevail,  had  suffered  the  fate  of  malefactors,  and 
His  body  was  in  the  tomb.  But  the  verdict  of  the  centuries, 
which  is  the  verdict  of  the  eternities  to  come,  acclaims  that 
"failure"  as  the  greatest  triumph  of  the  ages,  the  victory  of 
victories. 

15.  Even  so  with  the  Church.  For  a  season  the  powers  of 
evil  triumphed,  and  the  spirit  of  apostasy  ruled.  But  beyond 
the  darkness  of  the  spiritual  night  the  glorious  dawn  of  the 


THE  APOSTASY  PREDICTED 


23 


restoration  was  seen  in  prophetic  vision,  and  both  the  night 
with  its  horrors,  and  the  awakening  day  with  its  splendor,  were 
foreseen  and  foretold. 

16.  In  our  study  of  the  predictions  of  the  apostasy  as  em- 
bodied in  scripture  and  of  their  realization  as  attested  by  later 
history,  we  shall  recognize  two  distinct  phases  or  stages  of  the 
progressive  falling  away  as  follows: 

( 1 )  Apostasy  from  the  Church;  and 

(2)  The  apostasy  of  the  Church. 

17.  In  the  first  stage  we  have  to  deal  with  the  forsaking  of 
the  truth  and  severance  from  the  Church  by  individuals,  at 
times  few,  at  other  times  many.  Such  conditions  can  scarcely  be 
considered  otherwise  than  as  natural  and  inevitable.  History 
fails  to  present  any  example  of  great  undertakings  upon  which 
multitudes  enter  with  enthusiasm,  and  from  which  many  do  not 
desert.  Unless  such  cases  of  individual  abandonment  are  so 
numerous  as  to  show  the  operation  of  some  vital  cause  of  dis- 
affection, we  would  not  need  the  authority  of  divine  prediction 
and  inspired  prophecy  to  explain  the  occurence.  We  find,  how- 
ever, that  apostasy  from  the  Primitive  Church  was  widespread 
and  general,  and  that  the  causes  leading  to  such  a  condition 
were  of  vital  significance. 

18.  In  the  second  of  the  two  stages  already  specified  we 
are  confronted  with  conditions  of  far  greater  import  than  those 
attending  individual  secession  from  the  Church;  for  here  we 
find  the  Church  sinking  to  the  degraded  level  of  a  human  insti- 
tution, with  plan  of  organization  and  mode  of  operation  foreign 
to  the  constitution  of  the  original,  without  priesthood  or  author- 
ity to  officiate  in  spiritual  ordinances,  and  devoid  of  the  gifts 
and  graces  with  which  the  Savior  endowed  His  Church  at  the 
time  of  its  establishment.  In  short,  we  find  the  Church  itself 
apostate,  boasting  of  temporal  power,  making  its  own  laws, 
teaching  its  own  dogmas,  preserving  only  a  form  of  godliness, 
while  denying  the  power  thereof.— (See  II  Tim.  3:1-6.) 

Specific  Predictions  of  the  Apostasy. 

19.  The  Lord  foresaw  the  great  and  general  departure 
from  the  principles  of  righteousness,  and  from  the  beginning 
knew  that  men  would  set  up  their  own  forms  of  worship, 


24 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


wrongfully  claiming  divine  authority  for  the  same.  Through  the 
mouths  of  His  chosen  prophets  He  has  repeatedly  predicted  the 
inevitable  event— (See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter.) 

20.  Among  the  prophecies  antedating  the  birth  of  Christ 
the  following  may  be  noted.  Isaiah  beheld  in  vision  the  condi- 
tion of  the  earth  in  the  era  of  spiritual  darkness,  a  period  in 
which  all  classes  would  be  involved  in  a  general  condition  of 
unrighteousness,  a  time  when  the  world  of  mankind  would  be 
in  a  helpless  and  practically  hopeless  condition.  He  pictures  the 
earth  mourning  and  languishing  in  desolution  and  assigns  the 
reason  for  the  sad  condition  as  follows:  "The  earth  also  is  de- 
filed under  the  inhabitants  thereof;  because  they  have  trans- 
gressed the  laws,  changed  the  ordinance,  broken  the  everlast- 
ing covenant."— (Isaiah  24:5;  read  verses  1  to  6  inclusive.) 

21.  It  may  be  thought  that  this  prophecy  has  reference  to 
a  violation  of  the  law  of  Moses  under  which  ancient  Israel  lived. 
Let  it  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  Mosaic  law  is  nowhere 
called  an  everlasting  covenant.  The  covenant  between  the  Lord 
and  Abraham  antedated  the  giving  of  the  law  by  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years,  and,  as  pointed  out  by  Paul— (Galatians  3:17; 
read  the  entire  chapter.)  In  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  whom 
he  designates  as  foolish  because  of  their  confusing  the  law  of 
Moses  and  the  gospel  of  Christ,  the  law  could  not  nullify  the 
earlier  covenant  the  fulfillment  of  which  could  come  only 
through  Christ.  The  "law,"  by  which  the  inspired  apostle  plain- 
ly means  the  Mosaic  statutes,  was  but  a  preparation  for  the 
"faith,"  by  which  latter  expression  the  gospel  as  revealed  by 
Christ  is  clearly  intended.  "But  before  faith  came,"  says  Paul, 
"we  were  kept  under  the  law,  shut  up  into  the  faith  which 
should  afterwards  be  revealed.  Wherefore  the  law  was  our 
schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified 
by  faith.  But  after  that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer  under  a 
schoolmaster.  For  ye  are  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus.  For  as  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ 
have  put  on  Christ,  there  is  neither  male  or  female:  for  ye  are 
all  one  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abra- 
ham's seed,  and,  heirs  according  to  the  promise."— (Verses 
23-29.) 

22.  It  is  evident  from  the  tenor  of  the  entire  chapter,  that 
while  the  gospel  was  preached  unto  Abraham,  and  covenant 


THE  APOSTASY  PREDICTED 


25 


made  with  him  relating  to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  through 
his  posterity,  the  gospel  did  not  abide  with  Israel,  and  this  be- 
cause of  transgression;— (Verse  19.)  but  in  lieu  thereof  the  Mos- 
aic law  was  instituted  as  a  disciplinary  measure,  temporary  in 
character,  destined  to  be  superseded  by  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
and  assuredly  not  an  everlasting  covenant.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  blood  of  Christ,  through  the  shedding  of  which  the  atoning 
sacrifice  was  wrought,  is  distinctively  called  "the  blood  of  the 
everlasting  covenant."— (Hebrews  13:20.) 

23.  It  is  evident  then  that  Isaiah's  fateful  prophecy  relating 
to  the  breaking  of  the  everlasting  covenant  could  have  no  refer- 
ence to  a  departure  from  the  Mosaic  requirements,  but  must  re- 
fer to  a  then  future  condition  of  apostasy  following  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  everlasting  covenant.  Moreover,  part  of  the 
great  prediction,  referring  to  the  burnings  and  widespread  cal- 
amities,—(See  Isaiah  24:6.)  yet  awaits  its  complete  fulfillment. 

24.  Another  prediction  applicable  to  the  period  when  there 
should  be  no  Church  of  Christ  to  be  found,  and  when,  in  con- 
sequence there  should  be  lamentation  and  suffering,  is  that  of 
Amos,  "Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord  God,  that  I  will 
send  a  famine  in  the  land,  not  a  famine  of  bread,  nor  thirst  for 
water,  but  of  hearing  the  words  of  the  Lord:  And  they  shall 
wander  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  north  even  to  the  east, 
they  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  shall 
not  find  it."-(Amos  8:11,  12.) 

25.  Christ  instructed  His  followers  in  terms  at  once  direct 
and  conclusive,  as  to  the  apostasy  then  impending.  In  reply  to 
certain  inquiries  concerning  the  signs  by  which  His  second  ad- 
vent would  be  heralded,  He  said.  "Take  heed  that  no  man  de- 
ceive you.  For  many  shall  come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am 
Christ;  and  shall  deceive  many."— ( Matt.  24:4,  5. )  Then  He  told 
of  approaching  wars  and  political  disturbances,  and  added: 
"And  then  shall  many  be  offended,  and  shall  betray  one  an- 
other, and  shall  hate  one  another.  And  many  false  prophets  shall 
rise  and  shall  deceive  many.  And  because  iniquity  shall 
abound,  the  love  of  many  shall  wax  cold.  But  he  that  shall  en- 
dure unto  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved."— (Verses  10-13. 
See  note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

26.  Further  specifying  the  conditions  incident  to  the  grow- 
ing apostasy,  Christ  declared  to  His  disciples:  'Then  shall  they 


26 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


be  hated  of  all  nations  for  my  name's  sake."— (Verse  9.)  And 
again:  "Then  if  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is  Christ, 
or  there;  believe  it  not.  For  there  shall  arise  false  Christs,  and 
false  prophets,  and  shall  shew  great  signs  and  wonders;  inso- 
much that  if  it  were  possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect. 
Behold,  I  have  told  you  before.  Wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto 
you,  Behold,  he  is  in  the  desert;  go  not  forth:  behold,  he  is  in 
the  secret  chambers;  believe  it  not."— ( Verses  23-26.) 

27.  After  the  departure  of  Christ  from  earth  His  apostles 
continued  to  warn  the  people  of  the  darkness  to  come.  In  that 
memorable  address  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  when,  as  he  told 
them,  they  were  looking  upon  his  face  for  the  last  time,  Paul  re- 
minded his  hearers  of  the  instructions  he  had  previously  given 
them,  and  then  charged  them  with  this  solemn  warning:  "For  I 
know  this,  that  after  my  departing  shall  grievous  wolves  enter 
in  among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock.  Also  of  your  own  selves 
shall  men  arise,  speaking  perverse  things,  to  draw  away  disci- 
ples after  them."-(Acts  20:29,  30;  read  verses  17  to  31  incl.) 

28.  Not  only  would  outsiders  ingratiate  themselves  with 
the  saints  for  purposes  of  selfish  gain— wolves  entering  in,  and 
not  sparing  the  flock,— but  schisms  and  divisions  were  immin- 
ent; and  these  dissensions  were  to  come  through  some  then 
present—  men  who  would  aspire  to  leadership,  and  who  would 
set  up  their  own  doctrines,  thus  drawing  disciples  away  from 
the  Church  and  unto  themselves. 

29.  The  same  apostle  warns  Timothy  of  the  approaching 
apostasy,  and  refers  to  some  of  the  erroneous  teachings  that 
would  be  impressed  upon  misguided  people,— teachings  which 
he  calls  "doctrines  of  devils."  He  admonishes  Timothy  to  put 
the  brethren  in  remembrance  of  these  things,  as  is  becoming  in 
a  good  minister  of  Christ,  "nourished  up  in  the  words  of  faith 
and  of  good  doctrine."  Note  the  inspired  prediction:  "Now  the 
Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  de- 
part from  the  faith  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doc- 
trines of  devils;  speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy;  having  their  consci- 
ence seared  with  a  hot  iron;  forbidding  to  marry,  and  com- 
manding to  abstain  from  meats,  which  God  hath  created  to  be 
received  with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and  know 
the  truth."-(I  Tim.  4:1-3.  See  Note  5,  end  of  chapter.) 


THE  APOSTASY  PREDICTED 


27 


30.  In  a  second  epistle  to  his  beloved  Timothy,  while  labor- 
ing under  the  premonition  that  his  martyrdom  was  near  at  hand, 
Paul  urges  zeal  and  energy  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel;  for 
the  shadows  of  the  apostasy  were  gathering  about  the  Church. 
His  admonition  is  pathetic  in  its  earnestness:  "I  charge  thee 
therefore,  before  God,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  his  appearing  and  his  kingdom; 
Preach  the  word;  be  instant  in  season,  out  of  season;  reprove,  re- 
buke, exhort  with  all  long-suffering  and  doctrine.  For  the  time 
will  come  when  they  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine;  but  after 
their  own  lusts  shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having 
itching  ears;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth, 
and  shall  be  turned  unto  fables."— (II  Tim.  4:14.) 

31.  In  addressing  the  Thessalonian  saints,  Paul  warns  diem 
against  the  error  strongly  advocated  by  some  that  the  day  of 
Christ's  second  advent  was  then  near  at  hand.  It  appears  that 
deception  was  being  practiced,  and  that  even  forgery  was  sus- 
pected, for  the  apostie  instructs  the  people  diat  they  be  not  de- 
ceived "by  word  nor  by  letter  as  from  us."  The  admonition  is 
forceful:  "Now  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering  together  unto  Him, 
That  ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by 
spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter  as  from  us,  as  that  the  day  of 
Christ  is  at  hand.  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means:  for 
that  day  shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first, 
and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition;  who  op- 
poseth  and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that 
is  worshiped;  so  that  he  as  God  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God, 
shewing  himself  that  he  is  God."- (II  Thess.  2:2-14.)  We  shall 
see  how  painfully  literal  has  been  the  fulfillment  of  this  proph- 
ecy in  the  blasphemous  assumptions  of  the  apostate  church, 
centuries  later. 

32.  The  Apostle  Peter  prophesied  in  language  so  plain  that 
none  may  fail  to  comprehend,  concerning  the  heresies  that 
would  be  preached  as  doctrine  in  the  period  of  the  apostasy;  and 
He  reminds  the  people  that  there  were  false  teachers  in  olden 
times,  even  as  there  would  be  in  times  then  future:  "But  there 
were  false  prophets  also  among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall 
be  false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily  shall  bring  in  damn- 
able heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought  them,  and 
bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction.  And  many  shall  follow 


28 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


their  pernicious  ways;  by  reason  of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall 
be  evil  spoken  of.  And  through  covetousness  shall  they  with 
feigned  words  make  merchandise  of  you:  whose  judgment  now 
of  a  long  time  lingereth  not,  and  their  damnation  slumbereth 
not."— (II  Peter  2:1-3.  Read  the  entire  chapter,  noting  the  de- 
scription of  conditions  existing  in  the  world  today.) 

33.  Jude,  the  brother  of  James,  in  his  general  epistle  to  the 
saints,  reminds  them  of  earlier  warnings:  "But,  beloved,  remem- 
ber ye  the  words  which  were  spoken  before  of  the  apostles  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  How  that  they  told  you  there  should  be 
mockers  in  the  last  time,  who  should  walk  after  their  own  un- 
godly lusts."-(Jude  17, 18.) 

34.  John,  who  is  called  the  Revelator,  saw  in  vision  the  state 
of  the  world  in  the  days  then  future.  Describing  the  spirit  of 
unrighteousness  as  a  hideous  beast,  and  its  author,  Satan,  as  the 
dragon,  he  says:  "And  they  worshiped  the  dragon  which  gave 
power  unto  the  beast:  and  they  worshiped  the  beast,  saying, 
Who  is  like  unto  the  beast?  who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him? 
*  *  *  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to 
blaspheme  his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in 
heaven.  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints, 
and  to  overcome  them:  and  power  was  given  him  over  all  kin- 
dreds, and  tongues,  and  nations.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  worship  him,  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the 
book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear."— (Rev.  13:4,  6-9.) 

35.  Note  another  prophecy  based  on  the  vision  of  John  the 
Revelator.  Again  referring  to  latter-day  conditions  he  declares: 
"And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having 
the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for 
the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come:  and  worship  him  that  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  water."— 
(Rev.  14:6,  7.) 

36.  While  it  is  true  that  the  scripture  last  quoted  does  not 
specifically  predict  the  apostasy,  the  breaking  up  of  the  Church 
is  treated  as  an  event  actually  accomplished.  The  Revelator 
looked  beyond  the  period  of  disruption  and  saw  the  brighter  day 
of  the  restoration  of  the  gospel— a  re-establishment  of  the 


THE  APOSTASY  PREDICTED 


29 


Church  through  the  ministry  of  an  angel.  It  is  illogical  to  assume 
that  the  gospel  was  to  be  brought  to  earth  by  a  heavenly  messen- 
ger if  that  gospel  was  still  extant  upon  the  earth.  Equally  unrea- 
sonable is  it  to  say  that  a  restoration  or  re-establishment  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  would  be  necessary  or  possible  had  the  Church 
continued  with  rightful  succession  of  priesthood  and  power.  If 
the  gospel  had  to  be  brought  again  from  the  heavens,  the  gospel 
must  have  been  taken  from  the  earth.  Thus  the  prophecy  of  a 
restoration  is  proof  of  an  apostasy  general  and  complete. 

Apostasy  on  the  Western  Hemisphere  Predicted. 

37.  In  the  preceding  chapter  it  was  shown  that  the  Church 
of  Christ  was  established  by  the  Risen  Lord  among  the  Nephites 
of  the  western  world.  It  was  foreseen  that  the  powers  of  evil 
would  be  permitted  to  prevail  in  the  west  as  in  the  east.  Con- 
sider the  fateful  words  of  the  prophet  Alma  addressed  to  his 
son  Helaman:  "Behold,  I  perceive  that  this  very  people,  the 
Nephites,  according  to  the  spirit  of  revelation  which  is  in  me,  in 
four  hundred  years  from  the  time  that  Jesus  Christ  shall  mani- 
fest himself  unto  them,  shall  dwindle  in  unbelief.  Yea,  and  then 
shall  they  see  wars  and  pestilences,  yea,  famines  and  bloodshed, 
even  until  the  people  of  Nephi  shall  become  extinct— Yea,  and 
this  because  they  shall  dwindle  in  unbelief,  and  fall  into  the 
works  of  darkness,  and  lasciviousness,  and  all  manner  of  iniqui- 
ties; yea,  I  say  unto  you,  that  because  they  shall  sin  against  so 
great  light  and  knowledge;  yea,  I  say  unto  you,  that  from  that 
day,  even  the  fourth  generation  shall  not  all  pass  away,  before 
this  great  iniquity  shall  come."— (Alma  45:10-12.) 

38.  An  earlier  prophecy  relating  to  the  degradation  of  the 
surviving  remnant  of  Lehi's  descendants,  was  uttered  by  Nephi, 
as  a  result  of  a  revelation  communicated  to  him  through  angelic 
visitation.  He  thus  describes  his  vision  of  the  future:  "I  beheld 
and  saw  that  the  seed  of  my  brethren  did  contend  against  my 
seed,  according  to  the  word  of  the  angel;  and  because  of  the 
pride  of  my  seed,  and  the  temptations  of  the  devil,  I  beheld  that 
the  seed  of  my  brethren  did  overpower  the  people  of  my  seed. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  and  saw  the  people  of  the  seed 
of  my  brethren,  that  they  had  overcome  my  seed;  and  they  went 
forth  in  multitudes  upon  the  face  of  the  land.  And  I  saw  them 
gathered  together  in  multitudes;  and  I  saw  wars  and  rumors  of 


30 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


wars  among  them;  and  in  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  I  saw  many 
generations  pass  away.  And  the  angel  said  unto  me,  Behold 
these  shall  dwindle  in  unbelief.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  be- 
held after  they  had  dwindled  in  unbelief,  they  became  a  dark, 
and  loathsome,  and  filthy  people,  full  of  idleness  and  all  manner 
of  abominations."— (I  Nephi  12:19-23.  For  other  Book  of  Mor- 
mon predictions  of  spiritual  decline  on  the  western  continent, 
see  II  Nephi  27:1;  read  also  II  Nephi  26:19-22,  and  chapter  29.) 
The  degraded  state  of  the  North  American  Indians,— descend- 
ants of  a  prophet-father— is  a  striking  realization  of  this  pro- 
phetic declaration. 

39.  The  scriptures  cited  are  sufficient  to  show  that  wide- 
spread apostasy  from  the  Church  was  foreseen;  that  the  cor- 
ruption of  the  Church  itself  was  likewise  foreknown;  and  that 
on  both  hemispheres  a  general  apostasy  was  foretold. 

NOTES 

1.  The  Church,  Primitive  and  Restored.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  declares  by  its  name  a  distinction  from  the  Primitive 
Church  as  established  by  Christ  and  His  early  apostles.  The  essential  desig- 
nation of  the  restored  Church  is  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ;  its  authorized 
name  is  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  the  final  phrase 
being  added  to  distinguish  the  Church  as  established  in  the  present  dispen- 
sation from  the  Church  as  organized  by  the  Savior  during  the  period  of  His 
earthly  ministry.  This  distinction  is  shown  in  one  of  our  articles  of  Faith: 
"We  ( the  Church  of  today )  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed 
in  the  Primitive  Church." 

2.  Man's  Free  Agency.  The  teachings  of  the  restored  Church  re- 
specting individual  freedom  of  action  are  thus  summarized:  "The  Church 
holds  and  teaches  as  a  strictly  scriptural  doctrine,  that  man  has  inherited 
among  the  inalienable  rights  conferred  upon  him  by  his  Divine  Father,  ab- 
solute freedom  to  choose  the  good  or  the  evil  in  life  as  he  may  elect.  This 
right  cannot  be  guarded  with  more  jealous  care  than  is  bestowed  upon  it 
by  God  Himself;  for  in  all  His  dealings  with  man,  He  has  left  the  mortal 
creature  free  to  choose  and  to  act,  with  no  semblance  of  compulsion  or  re- 
straint, beyond  the  influences  of  paternal  counsel  and  loving  direction. 
True,  He  has  given  commandments,  and  has  established  statutes,  with 
promises  of  blessings  for  compliance  and  dire  penalties  for  infraction;  but 
in  the  choice  of  these,  God's  children  are  untrammeled.  In  this  respect, 
man  is  no  less  free  than  are  the  angels  and  the  Gods,  except  as  he  has 
fettered  himself  with  the  bonds  of  sin,  and  forfeited  his  power  of  will  and 
force  of  soul.  The  individual  has  a  full  measure  of  liberty  to  violate  the 
laws  of  health,  the  requirements  of  nature,  and  the  commandments  of  God 
in  matters  both  temporal  and  spiritual,  as  he  has  to  obey  all  such;  in  one 
case  he  brings  upon  himself  the  sure  penalties  that  belong  to  the  broken 
law;  as  in  the  other  he  inherits  the  specific  blessings  and  the  added  free- 


NOTES 


31 


dom  that  attend  a  law-abiding  life.  Obedience  to  law,  is  the  habit  of  the 
free  man;  'tis  the  transgressor  who  fears  the  law,  for  he  brings  upon  him- 
self deprivation  and  restraint,  not  because  of  the  law,  which  would  have 
protected  him  in  his  freedom,  but  because  of  his  rejection  of  law.  The 
predominant  attribute  of  justice,  recognized  as  part  of  Divine  nature,  for- 
bids the  thought  that  man  should  receive  promises  of  reward  for  righteous- 
ness, and  threats  of  punishment  of  evil  deeds,  if  he  possessed  no  power  of 
independent  action.  It  is  no  more  a  part  of  God's  plan  to  compel  men  to 
work  righteousness,  than  it  is  His  purpose  to  permit  evil  powers  to  force 
His  children  into  sin.  In  the  days  of  Eden,  the  first  man  had  placed  before 
him  commandment  and  law,  with  an  explanation  of  the  penalty  which 
would  follow  a  violation  of  that  law.  No  law  could  have  been  given  him  in 
righteousness,  had  he  not  been  free  to  act  for  himself.  'Nevertheless,  thou 
mayest  choose  for  thyself,  for  it  is  given  unto  thee;  but  remember  that  I 
forbid  it,'  said  the  Lord  God  to  Adam.  Concerning  His  dealings  with  the 
first  patriarch  of  the  race,  God  has  declared  in  this  day,  'Behold  I  gave 
unto  him  that  he  should  be  an  agent  unto  himself.'  "  ( The  Author,  "Arti- 
cles of  Faith,"  Lecture  3:1,  2.) 

3.  The  Testimony  of  Prophecy  to  the  Apostasy.  What  is  prophecy 
but  history  reversed?  Nothing.  Prophecy  is  a  record  of  tilings  before  they 
transpire.  History  is  a  record  of  them  after  they  have  occurred;  and  of  the 
two  prophecy  is  more  to  be  trusted  for  its  accuracy  than  history:  for  the 
reason  that  it  has  for  its  source  the  unerring  inspiration  of  Almighty  God; 
while  history— except  in  the  case  of  inspired  historians— is  colored  by  the 
favor  or  prejudice  of  the  writer,  depends  for  its  exactness  upon  the  point  of 
view  from  which  he  looks  upon  the  events,  and  is  likely  to  be  marred  in  a 
thousand  ways  by  the  influences  surrounding  him— party  considerations, 
national  interest  or  prejudice;  supposed  influence  upon  present  conditions 
and  future  prospects— all  these  things  may  interfere  with  history;  but 
prophecy  is  free  from  such  influences.  Historians  are  self-constituted,  or 
appointed  by  men;  but  prophets  are  chosen  of  God.  Selected  by  divine  wis- 
dom, and  illuminated  by  that  Spirit  which  shows  things  that  are  to  come, 
prophets  have  revealed  to  them  so  much  of  the  future  as  God  would  have 
men  to  know,  and  the  inspired  writers  record  it  for  the  enlightenment  or 
warning  of  mankind,  without  the  coloring  or  distortion  so  liable  to  mar 
the  work  of  the  historian.  Thus  Moses  recorded  what  the  history  of  Israel 
would  be  on  condition  of  their  obedience  to  God;  and  what  it  would  be  if 
they  were  disobedient.  Israel  was  disobedient,  and  historians  have  ex- 
hausted their  art  in  attempts  to  tell  of  their  disobedience  and  suffering;  but 
neither  in  vividness  nor  accuracy  do  the  histories  compare  with  the  proph- 
ecy. So  with  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  in  respect  to  the  rise  and  succession 
of  the  great  political  powers  that  should  dominate  the  earth,  and  the  final 
triumph  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  So  with  well-nigh  all  of  the  prophecies." 
(B.  H.  Roberts,  "A  New  Witness  for  God,"  pp.  113,  114.) 

4.  Christ's  Prediction  of  the  Apostasy.  The  forceful  prophecy,  couched 
in  terms  of  vivid  description,  uttered  by  our  Lord  in  response  to  inquiries 
by  His  disciples,  has  been  the  subject  of  diverse  opinion  and  varied  com- 
ment, particularly  as  regard  the  time  to  which  the  prediction  refers.  As 
recorded  in  the  twenty-fourth  chapter  of  Matthew,  a  significant  sign  of  the 
progress  of  events  to  precede  the  second  coming  of  Christ  was  stated  as 
follows:  "And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the 


32  THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 

world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations;  and  then  shall  the  end  come."  (Verse 
14. )  It  is  claimed  by  many  that  the  "end"  referred  to  in  the  passage  quoted 
is  not  necessarily  the  close  of  the  final  dispensation,  not  what  is  commonly 
spoken  of  as  the  end  of  the  world,  but  the  closing  up  of  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation then  current;  and  in  support  of  this  interpretation  it  is  urged  that 
following  the  utterance  quoted  Christ  proceeded  to  predict  the  calamities 
then  awaiting  Jerusalem.  That  during  the  period  covered  by  the  earthly 
ministry  of  the  apostles,  the  gospel  was  preached  in  all  the  civilized  na- 
tions of  the  Eastern  hemisphere,  is  evident  alike  from  scripture  and  from 
the  uncanonical  writings  of  repute  relating  to  that  period.  Paul  speaks  of 
the  Gospel  as  having  been  carried  in  his  day  to  the  world,  and  as  having 
been  preached  to  every  creature  under  heaven  (see  Col.  1:6,  23;  compare 
Romans  10:18;  see  also  Note  3,  following  chapter  1  of  this  work,  page  17.) 

In  Joseph  Smith's  version  of  the  twenty-fourth  chapter  of  Matthew  the 
paragraph  relating  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  all  the  world  as  one  of 
the  signs  specified  by  Jesus  Christ,  is  transposed  so  as  to  apply  more  di- 
rectly to  the  modern  or  last  dispensation.  ( See  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  Writ- 
ings of  Joseph  Smith,  1.)  The  scripture  under  consideration  has  direct  ap- 
plication to  the  conditions  characteristic  of  present  times— the  period  now 
current  and  immediately  precedent  to  the  second  advent  of  the  Christ.  This 
fact,  however,  does  not  necessarily  nullify  its  application  to  the  earlier 
period  as  well.  History  repeats  itself  in  many  instances  in  this,  "the  dispen- 
sation of  the  fulness  of  times";  indeed,  the  very  name  is  expressive  of  a 
summarizing  or  gathering  together  of  things  past,  and  this  involves  recur- 
rence of  earlier  conditions  and  re-enactment  of  laws.  The  prediction  of 
world-wide  evangelization  is  not  the  only  instance  of  a  general  prophecy 
having  more  than  a  single  limited  horizon  of  fulfillment.  In  the  apostolic 
period  the  gospel  was  carried  to  all  nations  known  to  the  Lord's  ministers; 
a  similar  work  is  in  progress  today,  on  a  scale  greatly  exceeding  that  of  the 
past,  for  the  world,  as  measured  by  human  occupancy,  is  vastly  greater 
than  of  old. 

5.  Scriptures  Relating  to  the  Apostasy.  That  the  application  of  the 
scriptures  cited  in  the  text  is  proof  of  the  predicted  apostasy  is  not  peculiar 
to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  these  predictions  are  similarly  interpreted  by  theologians  of  other 
churches.  Thus,  in  the  "Bible  Commentary,"  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  annotates 
Paul's  admonition  to  Timothy  as  below.  First  note  the  passage:  "Now  the 
Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from 
the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils;  speaking 
lies  in  hypocrisy";  etc.  Dr.  Clarke  says: 

"In  the  latter  times:  This  does  not  necessarily  imply  the  last  ages  of 
the  world;  but  any  times  consequent  ( subsequent )  to  those  in  which  the 
church  then  lived." 

"Depart  from  the  faith:  They  will  apostatize  from  the  faith,  i.e.  from 
Christianity,  renouncing  the  whole  system  in  effect  by  bringing  in  doctrines 
which  render  its  essential  truths  null  and  void;  or  denying  and  denounc- 
ing such  doctrines  as  are  essential  to  Christianity  as  a  system  of  salvation. 
A  man  may  hold  all  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and  yet  render  them  of  none 
effect,  by  holding  other  doctrines,  which  counteract  their  influence;  or  he 
may  apostatize  by  denying  some  essential  doctrine,  though  he  bring  in 
nothing  heterodox." 


NOTES  33 

"Speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy:  Persons  pretending  not  only  to  divine  in- 
spiration, but  also  to  extraordinary  degrees  of  holiness,  self-denial,  morti- 
fication, etc.,  in  order  to  credit  the  lies  and  false  doctrines  which  they 
taught.  Multitudes  of  lies  were  framed  concerning  miracles  wrought  by 
the  relics  of  departed  saints  as  they  were  termed." 


CHAPTER  III. 


Early  Stages  of  the  Apostasy. 

1.  As  shown  in  the  preceding  chapter  a  general  apostasy 
from  the  Primitive  Church  was  both  foreseen  and  foretold. 
Prophets  who  lived  centuries  before  the  time  of  Christ  predicted 
the  great  event,  as  did  also  the  Savior  Himself  and  the  apostles 
who  continued  the  work  of  the  ministry  after  His  resurrection 
and  ascension.  We  are  now  to  inquire  as  to  the  fulfillment  of 
these  predictions. 

2.  Evidence  that  the  apostasy  occurred  as  had  been  pre- 
dicted is  found  in  the  sacred  scriptures  and  in  the  records  of 
history  other  than  scriptural.  From  certain  utterances  of  the 
early-day  apostles  it  is  made  plain  to  us  that  the  great  "falling 
away"  had  begun  even  while  those  aposties  were  living.  The 
preaching  of  false  doctrines  and  the  rise  of  unauthorized  teach- 
ers were  referred  to  as  conditions  then  actually  existing  in  the 
Church,  and  not  as  remote  developments  of  the  distant  future. 
—(See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.) 

3.  Scarcely  had  the  gospel  seed  been  committed  to  the  soil 
before  the  enemy  came,  and  by  night  sowed  tares  amongst  the 
wheat;  and  so  intimate  was  the  growth  of  the  two  that  any 
attempt  to  forcibly  uproot  the  weeds  would  have  threatened  the 
life  of  the  grain.— (Study  the  parable  of  wheat  and  tares,  Matt. 
13:24-30.  See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.) 

4.  Paul  recognized  the  fact  that  the  people  amongst  whom 
he  labored  were  losing  the  faith  they  had  professed,  and  were 
becoming  victims  of  the  deception  practiced  by  false  teachers. 
In  his  letters  to  the  churches  of  Galatia  he  wrote:  "I  marvel  that 
ye  are  so  soon  removed  from  him  that  called  you  into  the  grace 
of  Christ  unto  another  gospel:  Which  is  not  another;  but  there 
be  some  that  trouble  you,  and  would  pervert  the  gospel  of 
Christ."  And  then,  to  emphasize  the  sin  of  those  who  thus  sought 
to  "pervert  the  gospel  of  Christ,"  he  continued:  "But  though  we, 
or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  odier  gospel  unto  you  than 
that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed. 
As  we  said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  if  any  man  preach  any 
other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be 


EARLY  STAGES 


35 


accursed."— (Galatians  1:6-9;  read  the  entire  chapter.  See  Note 
3,  end  of  chapter.) 

5.  The  context  of  the  passages  just  quoted  shows  the  nature 
of  the  error  into  which  "the  churches  of  Galatia"  were  in  danger 
of  falling.  They  were  embroiled  in  a  discussion  as  to  whether 
they  were  bound  by  certain  requirements  of  the  law  of  Moses, 
notably  that  respecting  circumcision.  The  apostle  instructs  them 
to  the  effect  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  was  superior  to  the  law; 
and  that,  moreover,  they  were  inconsistent  in  contending  for 
one  item  of  the  law  and  neglecting  the  rest.  We  have  here  indi- 
cation of  the  effort  so  persisted  in  even  by  those  who  have  joined 
the  Church,  to  modify  and  change  the  simple  requirements  of 
the  gospel  by  introducing  the  elements  of  Judaism.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  even  among  the  apostles  some  difference  of 
opinion  had  existed  as  to  the  necessity  of  circumcision;  but  this 
had  been  setded  by  their  prayerful  efforts  to  learn  the  Lord's 
will  in  the  matter;  and  those  who  sought  to  foment  dissension 
on  this  or  any  other  matter  of  authoritative  doctrine  were  de- 
clared to  be  enemies  to  the  Church,  seeking  to  "pervert  the 
gospel  of  Christ." 

6.  In  his  second  epistle  to  the  "church  of  the  Thessalonians" 
Paul  declares  that  the  spirit  of  iniquity  was  then  already  oper- 
ative. After  predicting  the  rise  of  the  apostate  church,  with  its 
blasphemous  assumptions  of  power,  as  a  condition  antecedent 
to  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  the  apostle  continued  as  follows: 
"For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work:  only  he  who 
now  letteth  will  let,  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way.  And  then 
shall  that  Wicked  be  revealed,  whom  the  Lord  shall  consume 
with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  shall  destroy  with  the  bright- 
ness of  his  coming."— (II  Thess.  2:7,  8.) 

7.  The  seemingly  obscure  expression,  "he  who  now  letteth 
will  let,"  may  be  more  readily  understood  by  remembering  that 
in  the  older  style  of  English  "let"  had  the  meaning  of  "restrain" 
or  "hinder."— (An  example  of  this  old-time  use  of  the  verb  'let" 
is  found  in  Shakespeare.  Hamlet  is  made  to  say,  "Unhand  me, 
gentlemen.  By  heaven  I'll  make  a  ghost  of  him  who  lets  me." 
i.  e.,  of  him  who  restrains  or  hinders  me.)  The  passage  therefore 
may  be  understood  as  a  declaration  that  the  spirit  of  iniquity 
was  already  active  though  restrained  or  hindered  for  a  time;  and 
that  later  even  this  restraint  would  be  removed  and  the  evil  one 


36 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


would  be  in  power.  In  the  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment this  passage  is  rendered  thus:— "Lawlessness  doth  already 
work:  only  there  is  one  that  restraineth  now,  until  he  be  taken 
out  of  the  way." 

8.  Just  who  or  what  is  referred  to  as  exercising  a  restraint 
on  the  powers  of  iniquity  at  that  time  has  given  rise  to  discus- 
sion. Some  writers  hold  that  the  presence  of  the  apostles  operat- 
ed in  this  way,  while  others  believe  that  the  restraining  power 
of  the  Roman  government  is  referred  to.  It  is  known  that  the 
Roman  policy  was  to  discountenance  religious  contentions,  and 
to  allow  a  large  measure  of  liberty  in  forms  of  worship  as  long 
as  the  gods  of  Rome  were  not  maligned  nor  their  shrines  dis- 
honored. As  Roman  supremacy  declined  "the  mystery  of  in- 
iquity" embodied  in  the  apostate  church  operated  practically 
without  restraint. 

9.  The  expression  "mystery  of  iniquity"  as  used  by  Paul  is 
significant.— (See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.)  Prominent  among  the 
early  perverters  of  the  Christian  faith  were  those  who  assailed 
its  simplicity  and  lack  of  exclusiveness.  This  simplicity  was  so 
different  from  the  mysteries  of  Judaism  and  the  mysterious  rites 
of  heathen  idolatry  as  to  be  disappointing  to  many;  and  the 
earliest  changes  in  the  Christian  form  of  worship  were  marked 
by  the  introduction  of  mystic  ceremonies. 

10.  Paul's  zeal  as  a  missionary  and  a  proselyter  is  abun- 
dantly shown  in  scripture;  he  was  equally  zealous  in  seeking  to 
maintain  the  faith  of  those  who  had  accepted  the  truth.  The 
Pauline  epistles  abounded  in  admonitions  and  pleadings  against 
the  increasing  influence  of  false  doctrines,  and  in  expressions 
of  sorrow  over  the  growth  of  apostasy  in  the  Church.  His  words 
addressed  to  Timothy  are  both  emphatic  and  pathetic.  "Hold 
fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast  heard  of  me,  in 
faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  That  good  thing  which 
was  committed  unto  thee  keep  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  dwell- 
eth  in  us.  This  thou  knowest,  that  all  they  which  are  in  Asia  be 
turned  away  from  me."— (II  Timothy  1:13-15;  italics  intro- 
duced; compare  4:10,  16.) 

11.  An  excellent  summary  of  important  utterances  by  the 
Apostle  Paul  relating  to  the  beginning  of  the  apostasy  as  a  fact 
in  the  early  apostolic  age,  has  been  made  by  one  of  the  latter- 
day  apostles,  Orson  Pratt.  He  writes  as  follows:  "The  great 


EARLY  STAGES 


37 


apostasy  of  the  Christian  Church  commenced  in  the  first  cen- 
tury; while  there  were  yet  inspired  apostles  and  prophets  in  their 
midst;  hence  Paul,  just  previous  to  his  martyrdom,  enumerates 
a  great  number  who  had  'made  shipwreck  of  their  faith,'  and 
'turned  aside  unto  vain  jangling,'  teaching  'that  the  resurrection 
was  already  past,'  'giving  heed  to  fables  and  endless  genealo- 
gies,' 'doubting  about  questions  and  strifes  of  words  whereof 
came  envyings,  railings,  evil  surmisings,  perverse  disputings  of 
men  of  corrupt  minds  and  destitute  of  the  truth,  supposing  that 
gain  is  godliness.'  This  apostasy  had  become  so  general  that 
Paul  declares  to  Timothy,  'that  all  they  which  are  in  Asia  be 
turned  away  from  me;'  and  again  he  says,  'at  my  first  answer  no 
man  stood  with  me,  but  all  men  forsook  me;'  he  further  says  that 
'there  are  many  unruly,  and  vain  talkers  and  deceivers,  teach- 
ing things  which  they  ought  not,  for  filthy  lucre's  sake.'  These 
apostates,  no  doubt,  pretended  to  be  very  righteous;  for,  says  the 
apostle,  'they  profess  that  they  know  God;  but  in  works  they 
deny  him,  being  abominable,  and  disobedient,  and  unto  every 
good  work  reprobate.'" 

12.  Jude  admonished  the  saints  to  be  on  their  guard  against 
men  who  were  in  the  service  of  Satan  seeking  to  corrupt  the 
Church.  Addressing  himself  "to  them  that  are  sanctified  by  God 
the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,"  he  said:  "It  was 
neeedful  for  me  to  write  unto  you,  and  exhort  you  that  ye  should 
earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered  unto 
the  saints.  For  there  are  certain  men  crept  in  unawares,  who 
were  before  of  old  ordained  to  this  condemnation,  ungodly  men, 
turning  the  grace  of  our  God  into  lasciviousness,  and  denying 
the  only  Lord  God,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."— (Jude  3,  4.  See 
Note  5,  end  of  chapter.)  It  is  plain  that  Jude  considered  "the 
faith  which  was  once  delivered  unto  the  saints"  as  in  danger; 
and  he  urges  the  faithful  to  contend  for  it  and  openly  defend  it. 
He  reminds  the  saints  that  they  had  been  told  "there  should  be 
mockers  in  the  last  time,  who  should  walk  after  their  own  un- 
godly lusts."  and  adds  "These  be  they  who  separate  themselves, 
sensual,  having  not  the  Spirit."— (Verses  18,  19.)  Clearly  he 
is  referring  to  the  apostates  of  such  time,  who,  because  of 
sensual  appetites  and  lustful  desires,  have  separated  themselves 
from  the  Church. 

13.  During  the  banishment  of  John  the  Revelator  on  the 


38 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


Isle  of  Patmos,  when  nearly  all  the  apostles  had  been  taken  from 
the  earth,  many  of  them  having  suffered  martyrdom,  the  apos- 
tasy was  so  widespread  that  only  seven  "churches,"  i.  e., 
branches  of  the  Church,  remained  in  such  condition  as  to  be 
considered  deserving  of  the  special  communication  John  was 
instructed  to  give.  In  a  marvelous  vision  he  beheld  the  seven 
churches  typified  by  seven  golden  candlesticks,  with  seven  stars 
representing  the  presiding  officers  of  the  several  churches;  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks,  with  the  stars  in  his 
hand,  stood  "one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man." 

14.  The  church  at  Ephesus  was  approved  for  its  good  works, 
specifically  for  its  rejection  of  the  Nicolaitean  heresies;  never- 
theless reproof  was  administered  for  disaffection  and  neglect, 
thus:— "thou  hast  left  thy  first  love.  Remember  therefore  from 
whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  repent,  and  do  the  first  works;  or 
else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candle- 
stick out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent."— (Rev.  2:4,  5.) 

15.  To  the  church  at  Pergamos  John  was  commanded  to 
write,  denouncing  the  false  doctrines  of  certain  sects  and  teach- 
ers, "which  thing  I  hate,"  said  the  Lord.— (See  verses  12-16.)  The 
church  of  the  Laodiceans  was  denounced  as  "lukewarm,  neither 
hot  nor  cold,"  and  as  priding  itself  as  rich  and  not  in  need, 
whereas  it  was  in  reality  "wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor, 
and  blind,  and  naked."— (Rev.  3;  see  verses  14-21.) 

16.  The  foregoing  scriptures  are  ample  as  proof  that  even 
before  the  ancient  aposties  had  finished  their  earthly  ministry, 
apostasy  was  growing  apace.  The  testimony  of  the  early  "Chris- 
tian fathers"  who  wrote  in  the  period  immediately  following  the 
passing  of  the  apostles,  is  to  the  same  effect.  According  to  the 
generally  accepted  chronology,  the  prophetic  message  of  John 
the  Revelator  to  the  churches  of  Asia  was  given  in  the  last  years 
of  the  first  century.— (Probably  about  A.  D.  96;  see  Oxford 
Bible,  margin.) 

17.  Among  the  historians  of  that  period  whose  writings  are 
not  regarded  as  canonical  or  scriptural,  but  which  are  neverthe- 
less accepted  as  genuine  and  reliable,  was  Hegesippus,  who 
"flourished  nearest  the  days  of  the  apostles."  Writing  of  the 
conditions  marking  the  close  of  the  first  century  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  second,  Eusebius  cites  the  testimony  of  the  earlier 
writer  as  follows:— "The  same  author,  (Hegesippus)  relating 


EARLY  STAGES 


39 


the  events  of  the  times,  also  says,  that  the  Church  continued 
until  then  as  a  pure  and  uncorrupt  virgin;  whilst  if  there  were 
any  at  all  that  attempted  to  pervert  the  sound  doctrine  of  the 
saving  gospel,  they  were  yet  skulking  in  dark  retreats;  but  when 
the  sacred  choir  of  apostles  became  extinct,  and  the  generation 
of  those  that  had  been  privileged  to  hear  their  inspired  wisdom 
had  passed  away,  then  also  the  combinations  of  impious  error 
arose  by  the  fraud  and  delusions  of  false  teachers.  These  also,  as 
there  were  none  of  the  apostles  left,  henceforth  attempted,  with- 
out shame  to  preach  their  false  doctrine  against  the  gospel  of 
truth.  Such  is  the  statement  of  Hegesippus."— (Eusebius,  "Ec- 
clesiastical History,"  Book  III,  chapter  32.) 

18.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  false  teachers  referred 
to  in  the  testimony  last  cited,  were  professed  adherents  of  the 
Church,  and  not  outside  opponents,  inasmuch  as  they  were  re- 
strained by  the  influence  and  authority  of  the  apostles,  and 
waited  the  passing  of  the  authorized  leaders  as  an  opportunity 
to  corrupt  the  Church  by  evil  teachings. 

19.  A  late  writer,  commenting  on  the  schisms  and  dissen- 
sions by  which  the  Church  was  rent  in  the  latter  part  of  the  first 
century— the  period  immediately  following  that  of  the  apostolic 
ministry,  says:  "It  will  easily  be  imagined  that  unity  and  peace 
could  not  reign  long  in  the  Church,  since  it  was  composed  of 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  who  regarded  each  other  with  the  bitterest 
aversion.  Besides,  as  the  converts  to  Christianity  could  not  ex- 
tirpate radically  the  prejudices  which  had  been  formed  in  their 
minds  by  education,  and  confirmed  by  time,  they  brought  with 
them  into  the  bosom  of  the  Church  more  or  less  of  the  errors  of 
their  former  religions.  Thus  the  seeds  of  discord  and  contro- 
versy were  easily  sown,  and  could  not  fail  to  spring  up  soon  into 
animosities  and  dissensions,  which  accordingly  broke  out  and 
divided  the  Church."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl.  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part 
II;  chap.  3:11.  See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

20.  Another  recognized  authority  on  ecclesiastical  history, 
and  one  whose  avowed  purpose  was  to  present  the  truth  respect- 
ing the  Church  in  its  most  favorable  light,  is  Joseph  Milner, 
author  of  a  comprehensive  "History  of  the  Church  of  Christ." 
He  comments  on  the  state  of  the  Church  at  the  close  of  the  first 
century  in  this  wise:  "Let  us  keep  in  view  that  what  (the  spirit 
of  the  gospel)  really  is.  The  simple  faith  in  Christ  as  the  only 
Savior  of  lost  sinners,  and  the  effectual  influences  of  the  Holy 


40 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


Ghost  in  recovering  souls  altogether  depraved  by  sin— these  are 
the  leading  ideas.  When  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  first 
took  place,  these  things  were  taught  with  power;  and  no  senti- 
ments which  militated  against  them  could  be  supported  for  a 
moment.  As,  through  the  prevalence  of  human  corruption  and 
the  crafts  of  Satan,  the  love  of  truth  was  lessened,  heresies  and 
various  abuses  of  the  gospel  appeared;  and  in  estimating  them 
we  may  form  some  idea  of  the  declension  of  true  religion  toward 
the  end  of  the  (first)  century."  The  same  writer  continues: 
"Yet  a  gloomy  cloud  hung  over  the  conclusion  of  the  first 
century.  The  first  impression  made  by  the  effusion  of  the  Spirit 
is  generally  the  strongest  and  the  most  decisively  distinct  from 
the  spirit  of  the  world.  But  human  depravity,  overborne  for 
a  time,  arises  afresh,  particularly  in  the  next  generation.  Hence 
the  disorders  of  schism  and  heresy.  Their  tendency  is  to  destroy 
the  pure  work  of  God."— (Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  I, 
ch.  15.) 

21.  The  purpose  of  this  chapter  has  been  that  of  demon- 
strating the  early  beginning  of  the  apostasy,  so  soon  to  become 
general,  and  later  universal.  The  specific  causes  directly  contrib- 
uting to  the  degradation  of  the  Church  are  reserved  for  future 
consideration. 

The  Growth  of  Apostasy  on  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

22.  Now  let  us  see  what  was  the  condition  of  the  Church 
established  by  the  Resurrected  Lord  among  the  descendants  of 
Lehi  on  the  American  Continent.  In  this  undertaking  we  shall 
not  restrict  ourselves  to  the  beginning  of  the  disruption  alone. 
Inasmuch  as  the  course  of  apostasy  among  the  Nephites  was  so 
rapid,  and  the  period  intervening  between  the  establishment  of 
the  Church  and  the  destruction  of  the  nation  was  so  brief,  we 
shall  consider  the  history  of  the  Church  to  its  close,  and  thus 
obviate  the  necessity  of  recurring  to  the  subject  in  later  chapters. 
We  read  that  the  Church  had  prospered  until  about  200  A.  D. 
Then  apostasy  became  general,  as  evidence  of  which  note  the 
following: 

23.  "And  now  in  this  two  hundred  and  first  year,  there  be- 
gan to  be  among  them  those  who  were  lifted  up  in  pride.  °  *  0 
And  they  began  to  be  divided  into  classes,  and  they  began  to 
build  up  churches  unto  themselves  to  get  gain,  and  began  to 


EARLY  STAGES 


41 


deny  the  true  Church  of  Christ.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  when 
two  hundred  and  ten  years  had  passed  away  there  were  many 
churches  in  the  land;  yea,  there  were  many  churches  which  pro- 
fessed to  know  the  Christ,  and  yet  they  did  deny  the  more  parts 
of  his  gospel,  insomuch  that  they  did  receive  all  manner  of 
wickedness,  and  did  administer  that  which  was  sacred  unto  him 
to  whom  it  had  been  forbidden,  because  of  unworthiness.  And 
this  church  did  multiply  exceedingly,  because  of  iniquity,  and 
because  of  the  power  of  Satan,  who  did  get  hold  upon  their 
hearts.  And  again,  there  was  another  church  which  denied  the 
Christ;  and  they  did  persecute  the  true  Church  of  Christ  be- 
cause of  their  humility  and  their  belief  in  Christ;  and  they  did 
despise  them  because  of  the  many  miracles  which  were  wrought 
among  them."— (IV  Nephi  1:24-29;  read  the  entire  chapter.) 

24.  The  Book  of  Mormon  record  is  definite  in  its  specifica- 
tions of  the  immediate  reasons  for,  or  causes  of  the  great 
apostasy  on  the  western  hemisphere.  While  the  members  of  the 
Church  remained  faithful  to  their  covenants  and  obligations, 
they  as  individuals  and  the  Church  as  an  organization  pros- 
pered; and  their  enemies  were  unable  to  prevail  against  them. 
With  prosperity,  however,  came  pride  and  class  distinctions,  the 
rich  dominated  the  poor,  and  earthly  gain  became  the  object  of 
life.— (See  IV  Nephi  1:2-7  and  compare  with  verses  25,  26.) 
Secret  organizations  of  evil  purpose  flourished,— (Verse  42.)  the 
people  were  divided  into  two  opposing  factions,  those  who  still 
professed  a  belief  in  Christ  being  known  as  Nephites  and  their 
enemies  as  Lamanites,  without  regard  to  actual  descent  or  fam- 
ily relationship.  With  the  growth  of  pride  and  its  attendant  sins, 
the  Nephites  became  as  wicked  as  the  non-professing  Laman- 
ites;—(Verse  45.)  and  in  their  wickedness  these  people  sought 
each  other's  destruction.  Consider  the  pathos  and  dire  tragedy 
expressed  in  the  words  of  Moroni,  the  solitary  survivor  of  a  once 
blessed  and  mighty  nation: 

25.  "Behold,  four  hundred  years  have  passed  away  since 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  Savior.  And  behold,  the  Lamanites 
have  hunted  my  people,  the  Nephites,  down  from  city  to  city, 
and  from  place  to  place,  even  until  they  are  no  more;  and  great 
has  been  their  fall;  yea,  great  and  marvelous  is  the  destruction 
of  my  people,  the  Nephites.  And  behold,  it  is  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  which  hath  done  it.  And  behold  also,  the  Lamanites  are 
at  war  one  with  another;  and  the  whole  face  of  this  land  is  one 


42 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


continual  round  of  murder  and  bloodshed;  and  no  one  knoweth 
the  end  of  the  war.  And  now  behold,  I  say  no  more  concern- 
ing them,  for  there  are  none,  save  it  be  the  Lamanites  and  rob- 
bers that  do  exist  upon  the  face  of  the  land;  and  there  are  none 
that  do  know  the  true  God,  save  it  be  the  disciples  of  Jesus,— 
(See  III  Nephi  28:1-7.)  who  did  tarry  in  the  land  until  the  wick- 
edness of  the  people  was  so  great,  that  the  Lord  would  not  suffer 
them  to  remain  with  the  people;  and  whether  they  be  upon  the 
face  of  the  land  no  man  knoweth."— (Mormon  8:6-10.) 

NOTES 

1.  The  Early  Apostasy  Recognized.  The  fact  of  the  early  beginning 
of  the  apostasy  is  generally  recognized  by  theologians  and  authorities  on 
Biblical  interpretation.  Clarke's  commentary  on  the  declaration  of  Paul  as 
to  the  "mystery  of  iniquity"  then  at  work  (See  II  Thess.  2:7)  is  as  follows: 

"For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work:  There  is  a  system  of 
corrupt  doctrine  which  will  lead  to  the  general  apostasy,  already  in  exist- 
ence; but  it  is  a  mystery;  it  is  as  yet  hidden;  it  dare  not  show  itself  be- 
cause of  that  which  hindereth  or  withholdeth.  But  when  that  which  now 
restraineth  is  taken  out  of  the  way,  then  shall  that  wicked  one  be  revealed; 
it  will  then  be  manifest  who  he  is  and  what  he  is." 

2.  Early  Dissensions  in  the  Church.  As  instances  of  the  disagree- 
ments and  differences  diat  troubled  and  disturbed  the  Church  even  in 
apostolic  days  Mosheim  says:  "The  first  of  these  controversies,  which  was 
set  foot  in  the  church  of  Antioch,  regarded  the  necessity  of  observing  the 
law  of  Moses,  and  its  issue  is  mentioned  by  St.  Luke  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  (chap.  15).  This  controversy  was  followed  by  many  others,  either 
with  the  Jews  who  were  violently  attached  to  the  worship  of  their  ances- 
tors, or  with  the  votaries  of  a  wild  and  fanatical  sort  of  philosophy,  or  with 
such  as,  mistaking  the  true  genius  of  the  Christian  religion,  abused  it 
monstrously  to  the  encouragement  of  their  vices,  and  their  indulgence  of 
the  appetites  and  passions.  St.  Paul  and  the  other  apostles  have  in  several 
places  of  their  writings,  mentioned  these  controversies,  but  with  such  brev- 
ity that  it  is  difficult  at  this  distance  of  time  to  come  at  the  true  state  of 
the  question  in  these  various  disputes.  The  most  weighty  and  important  of 
all  these  controversies  was  that  which  certain  Jewish  doctors  raised  at 
Rome,  and  in  other  Christian  Churches  concerning  the  means  of  justifica- 
tion and  acceptance  with  God,  and  the  method  of  salvation  pointed  out  in 
the  word  of  God.  The  apostles,  wherever  they  exercised  their  ministry, 
had  constantly  declared  all  hopes  of  acceptance  and  salvation  delusive, 
except  such  as  were  founded  on  Jesus  the  Redeemer,  and  His  all-sufficient 
merits;  while  the  Jewish  doctors  maintained  the  works  of  the  law  to  be 
the  true  efficient  cause  of  the  soul's  eternal  salvation  and  felicity.  This 
latter  sentiment  not  only  led  to  many  other  errors  extremely  prejudical  to 
Christianity,  but  was  also  injurious  to  the  glory  of  the  divine  Savior."  (Mo- 
sheim, "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part  II,  11,  12.) 

3.  Unauthorized  Writings  in  the  Apostolic  Age.  Paul's  reference  to 
"another  gospel"  in  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians  (1:6)  suggested  to  Dr. 
Adam  Clarke  the  following  commentary  on  the  passage: 


NOTES 


43 


Another  gospel:  "It  is  certain  that  in  the  very  earliest  ages  of  the 
Christian  Church,  there  were  several  spurious  gospels  in  circulation;  and 
it  was  the  multitude  of  these  false  or  inaccurate  relations  that  induced  St. 
Luke  to  write  his  own  ( see  Luke  1:1).  We  have  the  names  of  more  than 
seventy  of  these  spurious  narratives  still  on  record,  and  in  ancient  writings 
many  fragments  of  them  remain;  these  have  been  collected  and  published 
by  Fabricius  in  his  account  of  the  apocryphal  books  of  the  New  Testament 
(3  vols.,  8  vo. )  In  some  of  these  gospels  the  necessity  of  circumcision  and 
subjection  to  the  Mosaic  law,  in  unity  with  the  gospel,  were  strongly  in- 
culcated." (Clarke,  "Bible  Commentary.") 

4.  Some  Authorities  on  Ecclesiastical  History,  Among  the  authorities 
cited  in  the  text  are  those  named  below.  A  brief  note  as  to  each  may  be 
of  interest. 

Eusebius:  Eusebius  Pamphilus,  bishop  of  Caesarea  in  Palestine.  He 
lived  from  about  260  to  339  A.D.,  though  there  is  some  uncertainty  as  to 
the  exact  time  of  his  death.  He  was  an  eyewitness  of  and  a  participant  in 
some  of  the  sufferings  incident  to  heathen  persecution  of  the  Christians, 
and  has  been  called  the  "Father  of  Church  History."  He  was  the  author  of 
several  works  among  them  one  of  the  earliest  on  "Ecclesiastical  History." 
The  quotations  from  this  work  by  Eusebius,  as  given  in  the  text,  are  from 
the  version  translated  from  the  Greek  by  C.  F.  Cruse. 

Mosheim:  Dr.  J.  L.  von  Mosheim,  chancellor  of  the  University  of  Got- 
tingen,  a  German  writer,  noted  for  his  contributions  to  church  history.  He 
is  the  author  of  an  exhaustive  work  on  "Ecclesiastical  History"  (6  vols.), 
dated  1755.  The  excerpts  from  Mosheim's  "Ecclesiastical  History"  given 
in  the  text  are  taken  from  the  version  translated  into  English  by  Dr.  Archi- 
bald Maclaine,  dated  1764. 

Milner:  Rev.  Joseph  Milner.  An  English  authority  on  church  history, 
and  author  of  a  comprehensive  "History  of  the  Church  of  Christ"  (5  vols.) 
from  which  the  excerpts  in  the  text  are  taken. 

5.  Commentary  on  the  Passage  from  Jude:  The  passage  quoted  in  the 
text— "For  there  are  certain  men  crept  in  unawares,  who  were  before  of 
old  ordained  to  this  condemnation,  ungodly  men,  etc.,"  (Jude  4),  has  given 
rise  to  discussion,  the  question  at  issue  being  as  to  whether  the  principles 
of  pre-appointment  or  fore-ordination  is  here  involved.  A  hasty  and  casual 
reading  of  the  passage  may  suggest  the  inference  that  the  "ungodly  men" 
referred  to  had  been  appointed  or  "ordained"  in  the  providence  of  God  to 
sow  the  seeds  of  discord  and  dissension  in  the  Church.  A  careful  study  of 
this  scripture  shows  that  no  such  inference  is  warranted.  The  "ungodly 
men"  "who  were  before  of  old  ordained  to  this  condemnation"  were  men 
who  had  already,  i.e.  previously,  been  denounced,  proscribed  and  con- 
demned for  the  very  heresies  which  now  they  were  endeavoring  to  per- 
petuate in  the  Church,  they  having  crept  in  unawares,  or  in  other  words, 
they  having  become  members  of  the  Church  by  false  pretenses  and  pro- 
fession, and  being  able  because  of  their  membership,  to  spread  their 
false  teachings  more  effectively.  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  in  his  Bible  Com- 
mentary, thus  treats  the  passage  under  consideration: 

"For  there  are  certain  men  crept  in  unawares:  They  have  got  into 
the  church  under  specious  pretenses,  and  when  in,  began  to  sow  their  bad 
seed. 


44 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


"Before  of  old  ordained:  Such  as  were  long  ago  proscribed  and  con- 
demned in  the  most  public  manner;  tins  is  the  import  of  the  (original) 
word  in  this  place,  and  there  are  many  examples  of  this  use  of  it  in  the 
Greek  writers. 

"To  this  condemnation:  To  a  similar  punishment  to  that  about  to  be 
mentioned. 

"In  the  sacred  writings  all  such  persons,  false  doctrines  and  impure 
practices  have  been  most  openly  proscribed  and  condemned,  and  the  apos- 
tle immediately  produces  several  examples,  viz.,  the  disobedient  Israelites, 
the  unfaithful  angels,  and  the  impure  inhabitants  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
This  is  most  obviously  the  apostle's  meaning,  and  it  is  as  ridiculous  as  it  is 
absurd,  to  look  into  such  words  for  a  decree  of  reprobation,  etc.,  such  a 
doctrine  being  as  far  from  the  apostle's  mind  as  from  that  of  Him  in  whose 
name  he  wrote."  ( Clarke,  "Bible  Commentary,"  Jude. ) 

In  the  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament  the  passage  is  rendered 
thus:  "I  was  constrained  to  write  unto  you  exhorting  you  to  contend  earn- 
estly for  the  faith  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints.  For 
there  are  certain  men  crept  in  privily,  even  they  who  were  of  old  set  forth 
unto  this  condemnation,  ungodly  men,  turning  the  grace  of  our  God  into 
lasciviousness,  and  denying  our  only  Master  and  Lord,  Jesus  Christ." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Causes  of  the  Apostasy.— External  Causes  Considered. 

1.  We  are  now  to  consider  some  of  the  principal  causes 
contributing  to  apostasy  from  the  Primitive  Church  and  leading 
later  to  the  apostasy  of  the  Church  as  an  earthly  institution; 
and  we  are  to  study  the  manner  in  which  those  causes  have 
operated. 

2.  In  the  scriptures  before  cited  as  proof  of  the  early  be- 
ginning of  the  apostasy,  many  of  the  contributing  causes  are 
indicated,  such  as  the  rise  of  false  teachers,  the  spread  of  hereti- 
cal doctrines,  and  the  growth  of  the  power  of  Satan  in  general. 
These  may  be  classed  as  internal  causes,  originated  within  the 
Church  itself.  In  contrast  with  these  there  were  other  conditions 
operating  upon  the  Church  from  without;  and  such  may  be 
classed  as  external  causes.  For  convenience  in  study  we  shall 
consider  the  subject  in  the  following  order  of  treatment:  (1)  Ex- 
ternal causes;  (2)  Internal  causes. 

External  Causes  of  the  Great  Apostasy. 

3.  External  conditions  operating  against  the  Church,  tend- 
ing to  restrict  its  development  and  contributing  to  its  decline 
may  be  designated  by  the  general  term,  persecution.  It  is  a  mat- 
ter of  history,  undisputed  and  indisputable,  that  from  the  time 
of  its  inception  to  that  of  its  actual  cessation,  the  Church  estab- 
lished by  Jesus  Christ  was  the  object  of  bitter  persecution,  and 
the  victim  of  violence.  The  question  as  to  whether  persecution 
is  to  be  regarded  as  an  element  tending  to  produce  apostasy  is 
worthy  of  present  consideration.  Opposition  is  not  always  de- 
structive; on  the  contrary  it  may  contribute  to  growth.  Perse- 
cution may  impel  to  greater  zeal,  and  thus  prove  itself  a  potent 
factor  of  advancement.  A  proverb  still  in  favor  declares  that 
"the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  Church."  But 
proverbs  and  adages,  aphorisms  and  parables,  while  true  as  gen- 
eralities, are  not  always  applicable  to  special  conditions. 

4.  Undoubtedly  the  persistent  persecutions  to  which  the 
early  Church  was  subjected  caused  many  of  its  adherents  to  re- 
nounce the  faith  they  had  professed  and  to  return  to  their  former 


46 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


allegiances,  whether  Judaistic  or  pagan.  Church  membership 
was  thus  diminished;  but  such  instances  of  apostasy  from  the 
Church  may  be  regarded  as  individual  desertions  and  of  com- 
paratively little  importance  in  its  effect  upon  the  Church  as  a 
body.  The  dangers  that  affrighted  some  would  arouse  the  de- 
termination of  others;  the  ranks  deserted  by  disaffected  weak- 
lings would  be  replenished  by  zealous  converts.  Let  it  be  re- 
peated that  apostasy  from  the  Church  is  insignificant  as  com- 
pared with  the  apostasy  of  the  Church  as  an  institution.  Perse- 
cution as  a  cause  of  apostasy  has  operated  indirectly  but  none 
the  less  effectively  upon  the  Church  of  Christ— (See  Notes  1 
and  2,  end  of  chapter. ) 

5.  We  have  considered  briefly  the  testimony  of  early 
church  historians  showing  that  schisms,  contention,  and  perver- 
sion of  doctrine  invaded  the  Church  immediately  after  the  pass- 
ing of  the  apostles;  we  have  seen  how  wolves  had  awaited  the 
departure  of  the  shepherds  that  they  might  the  more  effectively 
worry  the  flock.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  early  persecutions 
were  directed  most  particularly  against  the  leaders  of  the  peo- 
ple; the  sharpest  shafts  were  aimed  against  the  officers  of  the 
Church.  In  the  fierce  battle  between  Christianity  and  its  allied 
foes— Judaism  and  heathendom— the  strong  men  who  stood  for 
Christ  were  the  first  to  fall.  And  with  their  fall,  the  traitors 
within  the  Church,  the  ungodly  and  the  rebellious,  those  who 
had  crept  in  unawares,  and  whose  sinister  purpose  it  was  to  per- 
vert the  gospel  of  Christ,  were  relieved  of  restraint,  and  found 
themselves  free  to  propagate  their  heresies  and  to  undermine 
the  foundations  of  the  Church.  Persecution,  operating  from 
without,  and  therefore  essentially  an  external  cause,  served  to 
set  in  motion  the  enginery  of  disruption  within  the  Church,  and 
therefore  must  be  treated  as  an  effective  element  contributing 
to  the  great  apostasy. 

6.  A  further  purpose  in  introducing  here  a  brief  summary 
of  the  persecutions  of  which  the  early  Church  was  the  victim,  is 
that  of  affording  a  basis  of  ready  comparison  between  such  and 
the  persecutions  waged  by  the  apostate  church  itself  in  later 
centuries.  We  shall  find  that  the  sufferings  of  the  Church  in  the 
days  of  its  integrity,  are  surpassed  by  the  cruel  inflictions  per- 
petrated in  the  name  of  Christ.  Moreover,  a  study  of  the  early 
persecutions  will  enable  us  to  contrast  the  conditions  of  opposi- 


JUDAISTIC  PERSECUTION 


47 


tion  and  poverty  with  those  of  ease  and  affluence  as  affecting 
the  integrity  of  the  Church  and  the  devotion  of  its  adherents. 

7.  The  persecution  to  which  the  Primitive  Church  was 
subjected  was  two-fold;  viz.,  Judaistic  and  pagan.  It  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  Jews  were  distinguished  from  all  other  na- 
tions of  antiquity  by  their  belief  in  the  existence  of  a  living  God. 
The  rest  of  the  world  before  and  at  the  time  of  Christ  was  idola- 
trous and  pagan,  professedly  believing  in  a  host  of  deities, 
yet  with  no  recognition  of  a  Supreme  Being  as  a  living  person- 
age. The  Jews  were  bitter  in  their  opposition  to  Christianity, 
which  they  regarded  as  a  rival  religion  to  their  own;  and  more- 
over, they  recognized  the  fact  that  if  Christianity  ever  came  to 
be  generally  accepted  as  the  truth,  their  nation  would  stand 
convicted  of  having  put  to  death  the  Messiah. 

Judaistic  Persecution 
(See  Note  3,  end  of  Chapter.) 

8.  Opposition  to  Christianity  on  the  part  of  those  who  be- 
longed to  the  House  of  Israel  was  rather  Judaistic  than  Jewish, 
The  conflict  was  between  systems,  not  between  peoples  or  na- 
tions. Christ  was  a  Jew:  His  apostles  were  Jews,  and  the  dis- 
ciples who  constituted  the  body  of  the  Church  at  its  establish- 
ment and  throughout  the  early  years  of  its  existence  were  large- 
ly Jews.  Our  Lord's  instructions  to  the  chosen  twelve  on  their 
first  missionary  tour  restricted  their  ministry  to  the  House  of 
Israel;— (See  Matt.  10:5,  6.)  and  when  the  time  was  propitious 
for  extending  the  privileges  of  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  a 
miraculous  manifestation  was  necessary  to  convince  the  apostles 
that  such  extension  was  proper.— (See  Acts,  chapters  10  and  11.) 
The  Church  was  at  first  exclusively  and  for  a  long  time  pre-emi- 
nently Jewish  in  membership.  Judaism,  the  religious  system 
founded  on  the  law  of  Moses,  was  the  great  enemy  of  Christian- 
ity. When  therefore  we  read  of  the  Jews  opposing  the  Church, 
we  understand  that  Judaistic  Jews  are  meant— defenders  of  Ju- 
daism as  a  system,  upholders  of  the  law  and  enemies  of  the  gos- 
pel. With  this  explanation  of  the  distinction  between  the  Jews  as 
a  people  and  Judaism  as  a  system  we  may  employ  the  terms 
"Jews"  and  "Jewish"  according  to  common  usage,  keeping  in 
mind,  however,  the  true  signification  of  the  terms. 


4S 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


9.  Judaistic  opposition  to  the  Church  was  predicted.  While 
Jesus  ministered  in  the  flesh  He  specifically  and  repeatedly 
warned  the  apostles  of  the  persecution  they  would  have  to  meet. 
In  answering  certain  inquiries  Christ  said  to  Peter  and  others: 
"But  take  heed  to  yourselves:  for  they  shall  deliver  you  up  to 
councils;  and  in  the  synagogues  ye  shall  be  beaten:  and  ye  shall 
be  brought  before  rulers  and  kings  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony 
against  them."-(Mark  13:9;  compare  Matt.  10:16-18;  24:9-13; 
Luke  21:12.) 

10.  Shortly  before  His  betrayal  the  Lord  repeated  the  warn- 
ing with  solemn  impressiveness,  citing  the  persecutions  to 
which  He  had  been  subject,  and  declaring  that  His  disciples 
could  not  escape:  "If  the  world  hate  you,  ye  know  that  it  hated 
me  before  it  hated  you.  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would 
love  his  own:  but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have 
chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you.  Re- 
member the  word  that  I  said  unto  you,  The  servant  is  not  greater 
than  his  lord.  If  they  have  persecuted  me  they  will  also  perse- 
cute you."-(John  15:18-20.) 

11.  The  extreme  of  depravity  to  which  the  bigoted  perse- 
cutors would  sink  is  set  forth  in  these  further  words  of  the 
Savior:  "They  shall  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues:  yea,  the  time 
cometh,  that  whosoever  killeth  you  will  think  that  he  doeth  God 
service.  And  these  things  will  they  do  unto  you,  because  they 
have  not  known  the  Father,  nor  me."— (John  16:2,  3;  compare 
9:22,  and  12:42.) 

12.  These  predictions  had  speedy  and  literal  fulfillment. 
From  the  time  of  the  crucifixion,  Jewish  malignity  and  hatred 
were  directed  against  all  who  prof  essed  a  belief  in  the  divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ.  In  the  early  stages  of  their  ministry  several  of  the 
aposdes  were  imprisoned— (Acts  5:18;  compare  4:3.)  and  the 
priesdy  leaders  sought  to  take  their  lives.— (Acts  5:33.)  Stephen 
was  stoned  to  death  because  of  his  testimony;— (See  Acts  6:8-15; 
7:54-60.)  and  the  persecution  against  the  Church  became  gen- 
eral.—(See  Acts  8:1.)  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  was  slain  by 
order  of  Herod,— (Acts  12:1, 2.)  and  Peter  was  saved  from  a  simi- 
lar fate  only  by  a  miraculous  intervention.— (Verses  3-10.)  The 
scriptural  record  informs  us  as  to  the  ultimate  fate  of  but  few 
of  the  apostles;  and  secular  history  is  likewise  incomplete.  That 
Peter  would  be  numbered  with  the  martyrs  was  made  known  by 


JUDAISTIC  PERSECUTION 


49 


the  resurrected  Lord.-(See  John  21:18,  19.)  Paul  sets  forth 
the  fact  that  the  apostles  lived  in  the  very  shadow  of  death— (I 
Cor.  4:9.)  and  that  persecution  was  their  heritage.— (Verses 
11-13;  see  also  II  Cor.  4:8,  9;  6:4,  5.) 

13.  Not  only  did  the  Jews  wage  relentless  persecution 
against  those  of  their  number  who  professed  Christ,  but  they 
sought  to  stir  up  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  Romans,  and  to 
accomplish  this  end  charged  that  the  Christians  were  plotting 
treason  against  the  Roman  government.  Even  during  the  per- 
sonal ministry  of  the  early  apostles,  persecution  of  the  saints 
had  spread  from  Jerusalem,  throughout  Palestine  and  into  the 
adjacent  provinces.  In  this  evil  work  the  Jews  sought  to  incite 
their  own  people  living  in  the  outlying  parts  and  also  to  arouse 
the  opposition  of  the  officers  and  rulers  of  the  Roman  domin- 
ions. As  evidence  of  this  phase  of  the  persecution,  partly  Jewish 
and  partly  pagan,  instigated  by  Jews  and  participated  in  by 
others,  the  following  quotation  from  Mosheim  may  suffice: 

14.  "The  Jews  who  lived  out  of  Palestine,  in  the  Roman 
provinces,  did  not  yield  to  those  of  Jerusalem  in  point  of  cruelty 
to  the  innocent  disciples  of  Christ.  We  learn  from  the  history 
of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  other  records  of  unquestionable 
authority,  that  they  spared  no  labor,  but  zealously  seized  every 
occasion  of  animating  the  magistrates  against  the  Christians, 
and  setting  on  the  multitude  to  demand  their  destruction.  The 
high  priest  of  the  nation  and  the  Jews  who  dwelt  in  Palestine 
were  instrumental  in  inciting  the  rage  of  those  foreign  Jews 
against  the  infant  Church,  by  sending  messengers  to  exhort 
them,  not  only  to  avoid  all  intercourse  with  the  Christians,  but 
also  to  persecute  them  in  the  most  vehement  manner.  For  this 
inhuman  order  they  endeavored  to  find  out  the  most  plausible 
pretexts;  and  therefore,  they  gave  out,  that  the  Christians  were 
enemies  to  the  Roman  emperor,  since  they  acknowledged  the 
authority  of  a  certain  person  whose  name  was  Jesus,  whom  Pil- 
ate punished  capitally  as  a  malefactor  by  a  most  righteous  sen- 
tence, and  on  whom,  nevertheless,  they  conferred  the  royal  dig- 
nity."—(Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part,  1,  5:2.) 

15.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  first  century,  the  scene  of  Juda- 
istic  persecution  of  the  Church  had  shifted  from  Jerusalem  to 
the  oudying  provinces;  and  the  cause  of  this  was  the  general  ex- 
odus of  Christians  from  the  city  whose  destruction  had  been  de- 


50 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


creed.— (See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.)  Our  Lord's  predictions  as 
to  the  fate  of  Jerusalem  and  His  warnings  to  the  people— (See 
Luke  21:5-9,  20-24.)  had  been  very  generally  heeded.  Eusebius— 
(Eusebius,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Book  III,  ch.  5.)  informs  us 
that  the  body  of  the  Church  had  moved  from  Jerusalem  into  the 
provinces  beyond  the  Jordan,  and  thus  largely  escaped  the  cal- 
amities of  the  Jews  who  remained. 

NOTES 

1.  Persecution  in  Different  Dispensations.  It  may  be  argued  that, 
judging  from  the  history  of  the  re-established  Church  in  the  present  dis- 
pensation, persecution  may  tend  to  strengthen  rather  than  to  weaken  the 
Church,  and  that  therefore  violent  opposition  in  earlier  times  cannot  be 
considered  a  true  cause  leading  to  final  disruption.  In  reply  it  may  be  said 
that  the  present  is  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times— a  period  in 
which  the  Church  shall  triumph,  and  during  which  the  powers  of  evil  are 
limited  and  restrained  in  their  opposition;  whereas  the  period  of  die  apos- 
tasy was  one  of  temporary  victory  for  Satan.  Our  belief  in  the  eventual 
triumph  of  good  over  evil  must  not  blind  us  to  the  fact  that  evil  is  fre- 
quently allowed  a  short-lived  success,  and  a  seeming  victory.  The  perman- 
ency of  the  Latter-day  Church  has  been  not  less  surely  predicted  than  was 
the  temporary  duration  of  the  primitive  Church.  Satan  was  given  power  to 
overcome  the  Saints  in  former  days,  and  the  persecutions  he  waged  against 
them  and  the  officers  of  the  Church  contributed  to  his  passing  success.  It 
has  been  decreed  that  he  shall  not  have  power  to  destroy  the  Church  in 
the  last  dispensation,  and  his  persecution  of  the  Saints  today  will  be 
futile  as  a  means  of  bringing  about  a  general  apostasy  in  these  latter  times. 

2.  Persecution  as  a  Possible  Cause  of  Apostasy.  "Let  it  not  be  a  mat- 
ter of  surprise  that  I  class  those  persecutions  as  among  the  means  through 
which  the  church  was  destroyed.  The  force  of  heathen  rage  was  aimed  at 
the  leaders  and  strong  men  of  the  body  religious;  and  being  long-continued 
and  relendessly  cruel,  those  most  steadfast  in  their  adherence  to  the 
Church  invariably  become  its  victims.  These  being  stricken  down,  it  left 
none  but  weaklings  to  contend  for  the  faith,  and  made  possible  those  sub- 
sequent innovations  in  the  religion  of  Jesus  which  a  pagan  public  sentiment 
demanded,  and  which  so  completely  changed  both  the  spirit  and  form  of 
the  Christian  religion  as  to  subvert  it  utterly.  Let  me  further  ask  that  no 
one  be  surprised  that  violence  is  permitted  to  operate  in  such  a  case.  The 
idea  that  the  right  is  always  victorious  in  this  world,  that  truth  is  always 
triumphant  and  innocence  always  divinely  protected,  are  old,  fond  fables 
with  which  well-meaning  men  have  amused  credulous  multitudes;  but  the 
stern  facts  of  history  and  actual  experience  in  life  correct  the  pleasing  de- 
lusion. Do  not  misunderstand  me.  I  believe  in  the  ultimate  victory  of  the 
right,  the  ultimate  triumph  of  truth,  the  final  immunity  of  innocence  from 
violence.  These— innocence,  truth  and  the  right— will  be  at  the  last  more 
than  conquerors;  they  will  be  successful  in  the  war,  but  that  does  not  pre- 
vent them  from  losing  some  batdes.  It  should  be  remembered  always  that 
God  has  given  to  man  his  agency;  and  that  fact  implies  that  one  man  is  as 
free  to  act  wickedly  as  another  is  to  do  righteousness.  Cain  was  as  free  to 


NOTES 


51 


murder  his  brother  as  the  brother  was  to  worship  Cod;  and  so  the  pagans 
and  Jews  were  as  free  to  persecute  and  murder  the  Christians  as  the  Cliris- 
tians  were  to  live  virtuously  and  worsliip  Christ  as  Cod.  The  agency  of 
man  would  not  be  worth  the  name  if  it  did  not  grant  liberty  to  the  wicked 
to  fill  the  cup  of  their  iniquity,  as  well  as  liberty  to  the  virtuous  to  round 
out  the  measure  of  their  righteousness.  Such  perfect  liberty  or  agency  Cod 
has  given  man;  and  it  is  only  so  variously  modified  as  not  to  thwart  His 
general  purposes."  (B.  H.  Roberts,  "A  New  Witness  for  God,"  pp.  47,  48.) 

3.  Early  Persecutions  by  the  Jews.  "The  innocence  and  virtue  that 
distinguished  so  eminently  the  lives  of  Christ's  servants,  the  apostles,  the 
purity  of  the  doctrine  they  taught,  were  not  sufficient  to  defend  them 
against  the  virulence  and  malignity  of  the  Jews.  The  priests  and  rulers  of 
that  abandoned  people  not  only  loaded  with  injuries  and  reproach  the 
aposdes  of  Jesus  and  their  disciples,  but  condemned  as  many  of  them  as 
they  could  to  death,  and  executed  in  the  most  irregular  and  barbarous 
manner  their  decrees.  The  murder  of  Stephen,  of  James  the  son  of  Zebedee, 
and  of  James  sumamed  the  Just,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  furnished  dreadful 
examples  of  the  truth  of  what  we  here  advance.  The  odious  malignity  of 
the  Jewish  doctors  against  the  heralds  of  the  gospel,  was  undoubtedly 
owing  to  a  secret  apprehension  that  the  progress  of  Christianity  would 
destroy  the  credit  of  Judaism,  and  bring  on  the  ruin  of  their  pompous 
ceremonies."  In  a  footnote  to  the  foregoing,  references  appear  as  follows: 
"The  martyrdom  of  Stephen  is  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  7:55; 
and  that  of  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  Acts  12:1,  2,  and  that  of  James  the 
Just,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  is  mentioned  by  Josephus  in  lus  Jewish  An- 
tiquities, book  XX,  chap.  8;  and  by  Eusebius  in  his  Ecclesiastical  History, 
book  II,  chap.  23."  (Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part  I, 
5:1.) 

4.  Destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans.  "A  rebellious  disturbance 
among  the  Jews  gave  a  semblance  of  excuse  for  a  terrible  chastisement  to 
be  visited  upon  them  by  their  Roman  masters,  which  culminated  in  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  A.D.  71.  The  city  fell  after  a  six  months'  siege 
before  the  Roman  arms  led  by  Titus,  son  of  the  Emperor  Vespasian.  Jo- 
sephus, the  famous  historian,  to  whom  we  owe  most  of  our  knowledge  as 
to  the  details  of  the  struggle,  was  himself  a  resident  in  Galilee  and  was 
carried  to  Rome  among  the  captives.  From  his  record  we  learn  that  nearly 
a  million  Jews  lost  their  lives  through  the  famine  incident  to  the  siege; 
many  more  were  sold  into  slavery,  and  uncounted  numbers  were  forced 
into  exile.  The  city  was  utterly  destroyed,  and  the  site  upon  which  the 
temple  had  stood  was  plowed  up  by  the  Romans  in  their  search  for  treas- 
ure. Thus  literally  were  the  words  of  Christ  fulfilled.  "There  shall  not  be 
left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down."  ( Matt. 
24:1,  2;  see  also  Luke  19:44.)  (The  Author,  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture 
17:18.) 


CHAPTER  V. 


Causes  of  Apostasy.— External  Causes,  Continued. 

1.  As  already  pointed  out,  it  is  convenient  to  study  the 
causes  leading  to  the  great  apostasy  as  belonging  to  two  classes, 
external  and  internal,  or  (1)  causes  due  to  conditions  operating 
against  the  Church  from  without;  and  (2)  causes  arising  from 
dissension  and  heresy  within  the  Church  itself.  We  have  sum- 
marized external  causes  under  the  general  term  persecution; 
and  we  have  drawn  a  distinction  between  Judaistic  and  pagan 
persecution  waged  against  the  Church.  Having  dealt  with  the 
opposition  suffered  by  the  early  Christians  at  the  hands  of  the 
Jews  or  through  Jewish  instigation,  we  have  now  to  consider  the 
persecution  brought  upon  the  believers  in  Christ  by  pagan 
nations. 

Pagan  Persecution. 

2.  The  term  "pagan"  as  here  used  may  be  taken  as  a  syno- 
nym of  "heathen,"  and  is  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  per- 
sons or  peoples  who  did  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  the  living 
God,  and  whose  worship  was  essentially  idolatrous.  The  motives 
impelling  non-believing  Jews  to  oppose  the  establishment  and 
spread  of  Christianity  may  readily  be  understood,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  the  religion  taught  by  Christ  appeared  as  a  rival  of 
Judaism,  and  that  the  growth  and  spread  of  one  meant  the  de- 
cline if  not  the  extinction  of  the  other.  The  immediate  motive 
leading  to  bitter  and  widespread  persecution  of  the  Christians 
by  heathen  peoples  is  not  so  easy  to  perceive,  since  there  was  no 
uniform  system  of  idolatrous  worship  in  any  single  nation,  but 
a  vast  diversity  of  deities  and  cults  of  idolatry,  to  no  one  of 
which  was  Christianity  opposed  more  than  to  all.  Yet  we  find 
the  worshipers  of  idols  forgetting  their  own  differences  and 
uniting  in  opposition  to  the  gospel  of  peace,— in  persecution 
waged  with  incredible  ferocity  and  indescribable  cruelty.— (See 
Note  1,  end  of  chapter.. ) 

3.  Unfortunately,  historians  differ  widely  in  their  records  of 
persecution  of  Christians,  according  to  the  point  of  view  from 
which  each  writer  wrote.  Thus,  in  a  general  way,  Christian 


PAGAN  PERSECUTION 


53 


authors  have  given  extreme  accounts  of  the  sufferings  to  which 
the  Church  and  its  adherents  individually  were  subjected;  while 
non-Christian  historians  have  sought  to  lessen  and  minimize  the 
extent  and  severity  of  the  cruelties  practiced  against  the  Chris- 
tians. There  are  facts,  however,  which  neither  party  denies,  and 
to  which  both  give  place  in  their  separate  records.  To  make  a 
fair  interpretation  of  these  facts,  drawing  just  and  true  infer- 
ences therefrom,  should  be  our  purpose. 

4.  Among  pagan  persecutors  of  the  Church,  the  Roman  em- 
pire is  the  principal  aggressor.  This  may  appear  strange  in 
view  of  the  general  tolerance  exercised  by  Rome  toward  her 
tributary  peoples;  indeed,  the  real  cause  of  Rome  opposition  to 
Christianity  has  given  rise  to  many  conjectures.  It  is  probable 
that  intolerant  zeal  on  the  part  of  the  Christians  themselves  had 
much  to  do  with  their  unpopularity  among  heathen  nations. 
This  subject  is  conservatively  summed  up  by  Mosheim  as  fol- 
lows: 

5.  "A  very  natural  curiosity  calls  us  to  inquire,  how  it  hap- 
pened that  the  Romans,  who  were  troublesome  to  no  nation  on 
account  of  their  religion,  and  who  suffered  even  the  Jews  to  live 
under  their  own  laws,  and  follow  their  own  methods  of  worship, 
treated  the  Christians  alone  with  such  severity.  This  important 
question  seems  still  more  difficult  to  be  solved,  when  we  con- 
sider, that  the  excellent  nature  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  its 
admirable  tendency  to  promote  both  the  public  welfare  of  the 
state,  and  the  private  felicity  of  the  individual,  entitled  it,  in  a 
singular  manner,  to  the  favor  and  protection  of  the  reigning 
powers.  One  of  the  principal  reasons  of  the  severity  with  which 
the  Romans  persecuted  the  Christians,  notwithstanding  these 
considerations,  seems  to  have  been  the  abhorrence  and  con- 
tempt with  which  the  latter  regarded  the  religion  of  the  empire, 
which  was  so  intimately  connected  with  the  form,  and  indeed, 
with  the  very  essence  of  its  political  constitution.  For,  though 
the  Romans  gave  an  unlimited  toleration  to  all  religions  which 
had  nothing  in  their  tenets  dangerous  to  the  commonwealth,  yet 
they  would  not  permit  that  of  their  ancestors,  which  was  estab- 
lished by  the  laws  of  the  state,  to  be  turned  into  derision  nor  the 
people  to  be  drawn  away  from  their  attachment  to  it.  These, 
however,  were  the  two  things  which  the  Christians  were 
charged  with,  and  that  justly,  though  to  their  honor.  They 
dared  ridicule  the  absurdities  of  the  pagan  superstition,  and 


54 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


they  were  ardent  and  assiduous  in  gaining  proselytes  to  the 
truth.  Nor  did  they  only  attack  the  religion  of  Rome,  but  also  all 
the  different  shapes  and  forms  under  which  superstition  ap- 
peared in  the  various  countries  where  they  exercised  their  min- 
istry. From  this  the  Romans  concluded,  that  the  Christian  sect 
was  not  only  insupportably  daring  and  arrogant,  but,  moreover, 
an  enemy  to  the  public  tranquility,  and  every  way  proper  to  ex- 
cite civil  wars  and  commotions  in  the  empire.  It  is  probably  on 
this  account  that  Tacitus  reproaches  them  with  the  odious  char- 
acter of  haters  of  mankind,  and  styles  the  religion  of  Jesus  as 
destructive  superstition;  and  that  Suetonious  speaks  of  the 
Christians,  and  their  doctrine  in  terms  of  the  same  kind. 

6.  "Another  circumstance  that  irritated  the  Romans  against 
the  Christians,  was  the  simplicity  of  their  worship,  which  re- 
sembled in  nothing  the  sacred  rites  of  any  other  people.  The 
Christians  had  neither  sacrifices,  nor  temples,  nor  images,  nor 
oracles,  nor  sacerdotal  orders;  and  this  was  sufficient  to  bring 
upon  them  the  reproaches  of  an  ignorant  multitude,  who  im- 
agined that  there  could  be  no  religion  without  these."— (Mo- 
sheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  1,  Part  1,  ch.  5:6,  7.) 

7.  Persecution  of  the  Church  by  Roman  authority  may  be 
said  to  have  begun  in  the  reign  of  Nero  (A.  D.  64)  and  to  have 
continued  to  the  close  of  Diocletian's  reign  (A.  D.  305.)  Within 
this  range  of  time  there  were  many  periods  of  diminished  se- 
verity, if  not  of  comparative  tranquility;  nevertheless,  the 
Church  was  the  object  of  heathen  oppression  for  about  two  and 
a  half  centuries.  Attempts  have  been  made  by  Christian  writers 
to  segregate  the  persecutions  into  ten  distinct  and  separate  on- 
slaughts; and  some  profess  to  find  a  mystic  relation  between  the 
ten  persecutions  thus  classified,  and  the  ten  plagues  of  Egypt,  as 
also  an  analogy  with  the  ten  horns  mentioned  by  John  the  Reve- 
lator.— (See  Rev.  17:14.)  As  a  matter  of  fact  attested  by  history, 
the  number  of  persecutions  of  unusual  severity  was  less  than 
ten;  while  the  total  of  all,  including  local  and  restricted  assaults, 
would  be  much  greater.— (See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.) 

8.  Persecution  under  Nero.  The  first  extended  and  notable 
persecution  of  Christians  under  the  official  edict  of  a  Roman 
emperor  was  that  instigated  by  Nero,  A.  D.  64.  As  students  of 
history  know,  this  monarch  is  remembered  mostly  for  his  crimes. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  infamous  reign,  a  large  section  of 
the  city  of  Rome  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  was  suspected  by 


PAGAN  PERSECUTION 


55 


some  of  being  responsible  for  the  disaster;  and  fearing  the  re- 
sentment of  the  infuriated  people,  he  sought  to  implicate  the  un- 
popular and  much-maligned  Christians  as  the  incendiaries,  and 
by  torture  tried  to  force  a  confession  from  them.  As  to  what 
followed  the  foul  accusation,  let  us  consider  the  words  of  a  non- 
Christian  writer,  Tacitus,  whose  integrity  as  a  historian  is  held 
in  esteem. 

9.  "With  this  view,  he  (Nero)  inflicted  the  most  exquisite 
tortures  on  those  men  who,  under  the  vulgar  appellation  of 
Christians,  were  already  branded  with  deserved  infamy.  They 
derived  their  name  and  origin  from  Christ,  who,  in  the  reign  of 
Tiberius  had  suffered  death  by  the  sentence  of  the  procurator 
Pontius  Pilate.  For  a  while  this  dire  superstition  was  checked 
but  it  again  burst  forth;  and  not  only  spread  itself  over  Judea, 
the  first  seat  of  this  mischievous  sect,  but  was  even  introduced 
into  Rome,  the  common  asylum  which  receives  and  protects 
whatever  is  impure,  whatever  is  atrocious.  The  confessions  of 
those  that  were  seized  discovered  a  great  multitude  of  their  ac- 
complices, and  they  were  all  convicted,  not  so  much  for  the 
crime  of  setting  fire  to  the  city,  as  for  their  hatred  of  human  kind. 
They  died  in  torments,  and  dieir  torments  were  embittered  by 
insults  and  derision.  Some  were  nailed  on  crosses;  others  sewn 
up  in  the  skins  of  wild  beasts  and  exposed  to  the  fury  of  dogs; 
others,  again,  smeared  over  with  combustible  materials,  were 
used  as  torches  to  illuminate  the  darkness  of  the  night.  The 
gardens  of  Nero  were  destined  for  the  melancholy  spectacle, 
which  was  accompanied  with  a  horse-race,  and  honored  with 
the  presence  of  the  emperor,  who  mingled  with  the  populace  in 
the  dress  and  attitude  of  a  charioteer.  The  guilt  of  the  Christians 
deserved  indeed  the  most  exemplary  punishments  but  the  pub- 
lic abhorrence  was  changed  into  commiseration,  from  the  opin- 
ion that  those  unhappy  wretches  were  sacrificed,  not  so  much 
to  the  public  welfare  as  to  the  cruelty  of  a  jealous  tyrant."— 
(Tacitus,  Annals,  Book  15,  ch.  44.) 

10.  There  is  some  disagreement  among  historians  as  to 
whether  the  Neronian  persecution  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  local 
infliction,  practically  confined  to  the  city  of  Rome,  or  as  general 
throughout  the  provinces.— (See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter.)  The 
consensus  of  opinion  favors  the  belief  that  the  provinces  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  metropolis,  and  that  the  persecution 
was  common  throughout  the  Church. 


56 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


11.  This,  the  first  persecution  by  Roman  edict,  practically 
ended  with  the  death  of  the  tyrant  Nero,  A.  D.  68.  According 
to  tradition  handed  down  from  the  early  Christian  writers,  the 
Apostles  Paul  and  Peter  suffered  martyrdom  at  Rome,  the  for- 
mer by  beheading,  the  latter  by  crucifixion,  during  this  perse- 
cution; and  it  is  further  stated  that  Peter's  wife  was  put  to 
death  shortly  before  her  husband;  but  the  tradition  is  neither 
confirmed  nor  disproved  by  authentic  record. 

12.  Persecution  under  Domitian.  The  second  officially  ap- 
pointed persecution  under  Roman  authority  began  93  or  94  A. 
D.  in  the  reign  of  Domitian.  Both  Christians  and  Jews  came 
under  this  prince's  displeasure,  because  they  refused  to  rever- 
ence the  statues  he  had  erected  as  objects  of  adoration.  A  fur- 
ther cause  for  his  special  animosity  against  Christians,  as  af- 
firmed by  early  writers,  is  as  follows:  The  emperor  was  per- 
suaded that  he  was  in  danger  of  losing  his  throne,  in  view  of  a 
reputed  prediction  that  from  the  family  to  which  Jesus  belonged 
there  would  arise  one  who  would  weaken  if  not  overthrow  the 
power  of  Rome.  With  this  as  his  ostensible  excuse,  this  wicked 
ruler  waged  terrible  destruction  on  an  innocent  people.  Hap- 
pily, the  persecution  thus  started  was  of  but  few  years  duration. 
Mosheim  and  others  aver  that  the  end  of  the  persecution  was 
caused  by  the  emperor's  untimely  death;  though  Eusebius,  who 
wrote  in  the  fourth  century,  quotes  an  earlier  writer  as  declaring 
that  Domitian  had  the  living  descendants  of  the  Savior's  family 
brought  before  him,  and  that  after  questioning  them  he  became 
convinced  that  he  was  in  no  danger  from  them;  and  thereupon 
dismissed  them  with  contempt  and  ordered  the  persecution  to 
cease.  It  is  believed  that  while  the  edict  of  Domitian  was  in 
force  the  Apostle  John  suffered  banishment  to  the  isle  of  Pat- 
mos. 

13.  Persecution  under  Trajan.  What  is  known  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal history  as  the  third  persecution  of  the  Christian  Church  took 
place  in  the  reign  of  Trajan,  who  occupied  the  imperial  throne 
from  98  to  117  A.  D.  He  was  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  of  the  Roman  emperors,  yet  he  sanctioned  violent  persecu- 
tion of  the  Christians  owing  to  their  "inflexible  obstinacy"  in 
refusing  to  sacrifice  to  Roman  gods.  History  has  preserved  to  us 
a  very  important  letter  asking  instructions  from  the  emperor,  by 
the  younger  Pliny,  who  was  governor  of  Pontus,  and  the  em- 
peror's reply  thereto.  This  correspondence  is  instructive  as 


PAGAN  PERSECUTION 


57 


showing  the  extent  to  which  Christianity  had  spread  at  that 
time,  and  the  way  in  which  believers  were  treated  by  the  of- 
ficers of  the  state. 

14.  Pliny  inquired  of  the  emperor  as  to  the  policy  to  be 
pursued  in  dealing  with  the  Christians  within  his  jurisdiction. 
Were  young  and  old,  tender  and  robust,  to  be  treated  alike,  or 
should  punishment  be  graded?  Should  opportunity  be  given  the 
accused  to  recant,  or  was  the  fact  that  they  had  once  professed 
Christianity  to  be  considered  an  unpardonable  offense?  Were 
those  convicted  as  Christians  to  be  punished  for  their  religion 
alone,  or  only  for  specific  offenses  resulting  from  their  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  Church?  After  propounding  such  queries 
the  governor  proceeded  to  report  to  the  emperor  what  he  had 
done  in  the  absence  of  definite  instructions.  In  reply  the  em- 
peror directed  that  the  Christians  were  not  to  be  hunted  nor 
sought  after  vindictively,  but  if  accused  and  brought  before  the 
judgment  seat,  and  if  then  they  refused  to  denounce  their  faith, 
they  were  to  be  put  to  death.— (See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

15.  Persecution  under  Marcus  Aurelius.  Marcus  Aurelius 
reigned  from  161  to  180  A.  D.  He  was  noted  as  one  who  sought 
the  greatest  good  of  his  people;  yet  under  his  government  the 
Christians  suffered  added  cruelties.  Persecution  was  most  se- 
vere in  Gaul  (now  France).  Among  those  who  met  the  martyr's 
fate  at  that  time,  were  Polycarp,  bishop  of  Smyrna,  and  Justin 
Martyr,  known  in  history  as  the  philosopher.  With  reference  to 
the  seeming  anomaly  that  even  the  best  rulers  permitted  and 
even  prosecuted  vigorous  opposition  to  Christian  devotees,  as 
exemplified  by  the  acts  of  this  emperor,  a  modern  writer  has 
said:  "It  should  be  noted  that  the  persecution  of  the  Christians 
under  the  pagan  emperors  sprung  from  political  rather  than  re- 
ligious motives,  and  that  is  why  we  find  the  names  of  the  best 
emperors,  as  well  as  those  of  the  worst,  in  the  list  of  persecutors. 
It  was  believed  that  the  welfare  of  the  state  was  bound  up  widi 
the  careful  performance  of  the  rites  of  the  national  worship;  and 
hence,  while  the  Roman  rulers  were  usually  very  tolerant  allow- 
ing all  forms  of  worship  among  their  subjects,  still  they  required 
that  men  of  every  faith  should  at  least  recognize  the  Roman 
Sods,  and  burn  incense  before  their  statues.  This  the  Christians 
steadily  refused  to  do.  Their  neglect  of  the  service  of  the 
temple,  it  was  believed,  angered  the  gods,  and  endangered  the 
safety  of  the  state,  bringing  upon  it  drought,  pestilence,  and 


58 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


every  disaster.  This  was  the  main  reason  of  their  persecution 
by  the  pagan  emperors."— (General  History  by  P.  V.  N.  Myers, 
edition  of  1889,  p.  322.) 

16.  Later  Persecutions.  With  occasional  periods  of  partial 
cessation,  the  Christian  believers  continued  to  suffer  at  the 
hands  of  heathen  opponents  throughout  the  second  and  third 
centuries.  A  violent  persecution  marked  the  reign  of  Severus 
(193-211  A.  D.)  in  the  first  decade  of  the  third  century;  another 
characterized  the  reign  of  Maximin  (235-238  A.  D. ).  A  period  of 
unusual  severity  in  persecution  and  suffering  befell  the  Chris- 
tians during  the  short  reign  of  Decius  known  also  as  Decius 
Trajan.  (219-251  A.  D.)  The  persecution  under  Decius  is  desig- 
nated in  ecclesiastical  history  as  the  seventh  persecution  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Others  followed  in  rapid  succession.  Some 
of  these  periods  of  specific  oppression  we  pass  over  and  come 
to  the  consideration  of  the 

17.  Diocletian  Persecution,  which  is  spoken  of  as  the  tenth, 
and  happily  the  last.  Diocletian  reigned  from  284  to  305  A.  D. 
At  first  he  was  very  tolerant  toward  Christian  belief  and  prac- 
tice; indeed  it  is  of  record  that  his  wife  and  daughter  were  Chris- 
tians, though  "in  some  sense,  secretly."  Later,  however,  he 
turned  against  the  Church  and  undertook  to  bring  about  a  total 
suppression  of  the  Christian  religion.  To  this  end  he  ordered 
a  general  destruction  of  Christian  books,  and  decreed  the  pen- 
alty of  death  against  all  who  kept  such  works  in  their  possession. 

18.  Fire  broke  out  twice  in  the  royal  palace  at  Nicomedia, 
and  on  each  occasion  the  incendiary  act  was  charged  against  the 
Christians  with  terrible  results.  Four  separate  edicts,  each  sur- 
passing in  vehemence  the  earlier  decrees,  were  issued  against 
the  believers;  and  for  a  period  of  ten  years  they  were  the  victims 
of  unrestrained  rapine,  spoliation  and  torture.  At  the  end  of  the 
decade  of  terror  the  Church  was  in  a  scattered  and  seemingly  in 
a  hopeless  condition.  Sacred  records  had  been  burnt;  places  of 
worship  had  been  razed  to  the  ground;  thousands  of  Christians 
had  been  put  to  death;  and  every  possible  effort  had  been  made 
to  destroy  the  Church  and  abolish  Christianity  from  the  earth. 
Descriptions  of  the  horrible  extremes  to  which  brutality  was 
carried  are  sickening  to  the  soul.  A  single  example  must  suffice. 
Eusebius,  referring  to  the  persecutions  in  Egypt,  says:  "And 
such  too  was  the  severity  of  the  struggle  which  was  endured  by 
the  Egyptians,  who  wresded  gloriously  for  the  faith  at  Tyre. 


PAGAN  PERSECUTION  59 

Thousands,  both  men,  and  women  and  children,  despising  the 
present  life  for  the  sake  of  our  Savior's  doctrine,  submitted  to 
death  in  various  shapes.  Some,  after  being  tortured  with  scrap- 
ings and  the  rack,  and  the  most  dreadful  scourgings,  and  other 
innumerable  agonies  which  one  might  shudder  to  hear,  were 
finally  committed  to  the  flames;  and  some  plunged  and  drowned 
in  the  sea,  others  voluntarily  offering  their  own  heads  to  their 
executioners,  others  dying  in  the  midst  of  their  torments,  some 
wasted  away  by  famine,  and  others  again  fixed  to  the  cross. 
Some,  indeed,  were  executed  as  malefactors  usually  were;  oth- 
ers, more  cruelly,  were  nailed  with  the  head  downwards,  and 
kept  alive  until  they  were  destroyed  by  starving  on  the  cross 
itself."-(Eusebius,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Book  8,  ch.  8.) 

19.  A  modern  writer,  whose  tendency  ever  was  to  minimize 
the  extent  of  Christian  persecution,  is  Edward  Gibbon.  His  ac- 
count of  the  conditions  prevailing  during  this  period  of  Diocle- 
tian outrage  is  as  follows:  "The  magistrates  were  commanded  to 
employ  every  method  of  severity  which  might  reclaim  them 
from  their  odious  superstition,  and  oblige  them  to  return  to  the 
established  worship  of  the  gods.  This  rigorous  order  was  ex- 
tended, by  a  subsequent  edict,  to  the  whole  body  of  Christians, 
who  were  exposed  to  a  violent  and  general  persecution.  Instead 
of  those  salutary  restraints  which  had  required  the  direct  and 
solemn  testimony  of  an  accuser,  it  became  the  duty  as  well  as 
the  interest  of  the  imperial  officers  to  discover,  to  pursue,  and 
to  torment  the  most  obnoxious  among  the  faithful.  Heavy 
penalties  were  denounced  against  all  who  should  presume  to 
save  a  proscribed  sectary  from  the  just  indignation  of  the  gods 
and  of  the  emperors.— (Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire,"  ch.  XVI.) 

20.  So  general  was  the  Diocletian  persecution,  and  so  de- 
structive its  effect,  that  at  its  cessation  the  Christian  Church  was 
thought  to  be  forever  extinct.  Monuments  were  raised  to  com- 
memorate the  emperor's  zeal  as  a  persecutor,  notably  two  pillars 
erected  in  Spain.  On  one  of  them  is  an  inscription  extolling 
the  mighty  Diocletian  "For  having  extinguished  the  name  of 
Christians  who  brought  the  Republic  to  ruin."  A  second  pillar 
commemorates  the  reign  of  Diocletian,  and  honors  the  imperator 
"for  having  everywhere  abolished  the  superstition  of  Christ;  for 
having  extended  the  worship  of  the  gods."  A  medal  struck  in 
honor  of  Diocletian  bears  the  inscription  "The  name  of  Christian 


60 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


being  extinguished."—  (Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  IV,  ch. 
1:38.)  To  the  fallacy  of  these  assumptions  subsequent  events 
testify. 

21.  The  Diocletian  oppression  was  the  last  of  the  great  per- 
secutions brought  by  pagan  Rome  against  Christianity  as  a 
whole.  A  stupendous  change,  amounting  to  a  revolution,  now 
appears  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church.  Constantine,  known  in  his- 
tory as  Constantine  the  Great,  became  emperor  of  Rome  A.  D. 
306,  and  reigned  31  years.  Early  in  his  reign  he  espoused  the 
hitherto  unpopular  cause  of  the  Christians,  and  took  the  Church 
under  official  protection.  A  legend  gained  currency  that  the 
emperor's  conversion  was  due  to  a  supernatural  manifestation, 
whereby  he  saw  a  luminous  cross  appear  in  the  heavens  with  the 
inscription,  "Ry  this  sign,  conquer."  The  genuineness  of  this 
alleged  manifestation  is  doubtful,  and  the  evidence  of  history  is 
against  it.  The  incident  is  here  mentioned  to  show  the  means 
devised  to  make  Christianity  popular  at  the  time. 

22.  It  is  held  by  many  judicious  historians  that  Constan- 
tine's  so-called  conversion  was  rather  a  matter  of  policy  than  a 
sincere  acceptance  of  the  truth  of  Christianity.  The  emperor 
himself  remained  a  catechumen,  that  is,  an  unbaptized  believer, 
until  shortly  before  his  death,  when  he  became  a  member  by 
baptism.  Rut,  whatever  his  motives  may  have  been,  he  made 
Christianity  the  religion  of  state,  issuing  an  official  decree  to  this 
effect  in  313.  "He  made  the  cross  the  royal  standard;  and  the 
Roman  legions  now  for  the  first  time  marched  beneath  the  em- 
blem of  Christianity."  (Myers.) 

23.  Immediately  following  the  change  there  was  a  great 
competition  for  church  preferment.  The  office  of  a  bishop  came 
to  be  more  highly  esteemed  than  the  rank  of  a  general.  The 
emperor  himself  was  the  real  head  of  the  Church.  It  became  un- 
popular and  decidedly  disadvantageous  in  a  material  sense  to  be 
known  as  a  non-Christian.  Pagan  temples  were  transformed  into 
churches,  and  heathen  idols  were  demolished.  We  read  that 
twelve  thousand  men  and  a  proportionate  number  of  women 
and  children  were  baptized  into  the  Church  of  Rome  alone 
within  a  single  year.  Constantine  removed  the  capital  of  the 
empire  from  Rome  to  Ryzantium,  which  city  he  re-named  after 
himself,  Constantinople.  This,  the  present  capital  of  Turkey, 
became  headquarters  of  the  state  Church. 


NOTES 


61 


24.  How  empty  and  vain  appears  the  Diocletian  boast  that 
Christianity  was  forever  extinguished!  Yet  how  different  was 
the  Church  under  the  patronage  of  Constantine  from  the 
Church  as  established  by  Christ  and  as  built  up  by  His  apostles! 
The  Church  had  already  become  apostate  as  judged  by  the 
standard  of  its  original  constitution. 

NOTES 

1.  Cause  of  Pagan  Opposition  to  Christianity.  "The  whole  body  of 
Christians  unanimously  refused  to  hold  any  communion  with  the  gods  of 
Rome,  of  the  empire,  and  of  mankind.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  oppressed 
believer  asserted  the  inalienable  rights  of  conscience  and  private  judgment. 
Though  his  situation  might  excite  the  pity,  Iris  arguments  could  never 
reach  the  understanding,  either  of  the  philosophic  or  of  the  believing  part 
of  the  pagan  world.  To  their  apprehensions,  it  was  no  less  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise that  any  individuals  should  entertain  scruples  against  complying  with 
the  established  mode  of  worship,  than  if  they  had  conceived  a  sudden 
abhorrence  to  the  manners,  the  dress,  or  the  language  of  their  native  coun- 
try. The  surprise  of  the  pagans  was  soon  succeeded  by  resentment;  and  the 
most  pious  of  men  were  exposed  to  the  unjust  but  dangerous  imputation  of 
impiety.  Malice  and  prejudice  concurred  in  representing  the  Christians  as 
a  society  of  atheists,  who,  by  the  most  daring  attack  on  the  religious  con- 
stitution of  the  empire,  had  merited  the  severest  animadversion  of  the  civil 
magistrate.  They  had  separated  themselves  ( they  gloried  in  the  confes- 
sion) from  every  mode  of  superstition  which  was  received  in  any  part  of 
the  globe  by  the  various  temper  of  polytheism;  but  it  was  not  altogether  so 
evident  what  deity  or  what  form  of  worship  they  had  substituted  to  the 
gods  and  temples  of  antiquity.  The  pure  and  sublime  idea  which  they  en- 
tertained of  the  Supreme  Being  escaped  the  gross  conception  of  the  pagan 
multitude,  who  were  at  a  loss  to  discover  a  spiritual  and  solitary  God,  that 
was  neither  represented  under  any  corporeal  figures  or  visible  symbol,  nor 
was  adored  with  the  accustomed  pomp  of  libations  and  festivals,  of  altars 
and  sacrifices."  ( Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,"  chap. 
XVI.) 

2.  As  to  the  Number  of  the  Persecutions  by  the  Romans.  "The 
Romans  are  said  to  have  pursued  the  Christians  with  the  utmost  violence 
in  ten  persecutions,  but  this  number  is  not  verified  by  the  ancient  history 
of  the  church.  For  if,  by  these  persecutions,  such  only  are  meant  as  were 
singularly  severe  and  universal  throughout  the  empire,  then  it  is  certain 
that  these  amount  not  to  the  number  above  mentioned.  And,  if  we  take  the 
provincial  and  less  remarkable  persecutions  into  the  account,  they  far  ex- 
ceed it.  In  the  fifth  century  certain  Christians  (were)  led  by  some  pas- 
sages of  the  holy  scriptures  and  by  one  especially  in  the  Revelations  ( Rev. 
17:14),  to  imagine  that  the  church  was  to  suffer  ten  calamities  of  a  most 
grievous  nature.  To  this  notion,  therefore,  they  endeavored,  though  not  all 
in  the  same  way,  to  accommodate  the  language  of  history,  even  against  the 
testimony  of  those  ancient  records,  from  whence  alone  history  can  speak 
with  authority."  ( Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part,  I,  ch. 
5:4.) 


62 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


Speaking  on  the  same  subject,  Gibbon  says:  "As  often  as  any  occa- 
sional severities  were  exercised  in  the  different  parts  of  the  empire,  the 

Erhnitive  Christians  lamented  and  perhaps  magnified  their  own  sufferings; 
ut  the  celebrated  number  of  ten  persecutions  has  been  determined  by  the 
ecclesiastical  writers  of  the  fifth  century,  who  possessed  a  more  distinct 
view  of  the  prosperous  or  adverse  fortunes  of  the  church  from  the  age  of 
Nero  to  that  of  Diocletian.  The  ingenious  parallels  of  the  ten  plagues  of 
Egypt  and  of  the  ten  horns  of  the  Apocalypse  first  suggested  this  calcula- 
tion to  their  minds;  and  in  their  application  of  the  faith  of  prophecy  to  the 
truth  of  history  they  were  careful  to  select  those  reigns  which  were  indeed 
the  most  hostile  to  the  Christian  cause."  (Cibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,"  ch.  XVI.) 

3.  Extent  of  the  Neronian  Persecution.  "Learned  men  are  not  en- 
tirely agreed  concerning  the  extent  of  this  persecution  under  Nero.  Some 
confine  it  to  the  city  of  Rome,  while  others  represent  it  as  having  raged 
throughout  the  whole  empire.  The  latter  opinion,  which  is  also  the  most 
ancient,  is  undoubtedly  to  be  preferred;  as  it  is  certain  that  the  laws  en- 
acted against  the  Christians  were  enacted  against  the  whole  body,  and  not 
against  particular  churches,  and  were  consequently  in  force  in  the  remotest 
provinces."  ( Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part  I,  5:14.) 

4.  Correspondence  Between  Pliny  and  Trajan.  The  inquiry  of  the 
younger  Pliny,  governor  of  Pontus,  addressed  to  Trajan,  emperor  of  Rome, 
and  the  imperial  reply  thereto,  are  of  such  interest  as  to  be  worthy  of  re- 
production in  full.  The  version  here  given  is  that  of  Milner  as  appears  in 
his  "History  of  the  Church  of  Christ,"  edition  of  1810,  Cent.  II,  ch.  1. 

"Pliny  to  Trajan,  Emperor: 

"Health.— It  is  my  usual  custom,  Sir,  to  refer  all  things,  of  which  I 
harbor  any  doubts,  to  you.  For  who  can  better  direct  my  judgment  in  its 
hesitation,  or  instruct  my  understanding  in  its  ignorance?  I  never  had 
the  fortune  to  be  present  at  any  examination  of  Christians,  before  I  came 
into  this  province.  I  am  therefore  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  is  the  usual 
object  either  of  inquiry  or  of  punishment,  and  to  what  length  either  of 
them  is  to  be  carried.  It  has  also  been  with  me  a  question  very  problemati- 
cal—whether any  distinction  should  be  made  between  the  young  and  the 
old,  the  tender  and  the  robust;— whether  any  room  should  be  given  for 
repentance,  or  the  guilt  of  Christianity  once  incurred  is  not  to  be  expiated 
by  the  most  unequivocal  retraction;— whether  the  name  itself,  abstracted 
from  any  flagitiousness  of  conduct,  or  the  crimes  connected  with  the  name, 
be  the  object  of  punishment.  In  the  meantime,  this  has  been  my  method, 
with  respect  to  those  who  were  brought  before  me  as  Christians.  I  asked 
them  whether  they  were  Christians:  if  they  pleaded  guilty,  I  interrogated 
them  twice  afresh  with  a  menace  of  capital  punishment.  In  case  of  obsti- 
nate perseverance  I  ordered  them  to  be  executed.  For  of  this  I  had  no 
doubt,  whatever  was  the  nature  of  their  religion,  that  a  sudden  and  obsti- 
nate inflexibility  called  for  the  vengeance  of  the  magistrate.  Some  were 
infected  with  the  same  madness,  whom,  on  account  of  their  privilege  of 
citizenship,  I  reserved  to  be  sent  to  Home,  to  be  referred  to  your  tribunal. 
In  the  course  of  this  business,  informations  pouring  in,  as  is  usual  when 
they  are  encouraged,  more  cases  occurred.  An  anonymous  libel  was  exhib- 
ited, with  a  catalogue  of  names  of  persons,  who  yet  declared  that  they 
were  not  Christians  then,  nor  ever  had  been;  and  they  repeated  after  me 


NOTES 


63 


an  invocation  of  the  gods  and  of  your  image,  which,  for  this  purpose,  I 
had  ordered  to  be  brought  with  the  images  of  the  deities.  They  performed 
sacred  rites  with  wine  and  frankincense,  and  execrated  Christ,— none  of 
which  tilings  I  am  told  a  real  Christian  can  ever  be  compelled  to  do.  On 
this  account  I  dismissed  them.  Others  named  by  an  informer,  first  affirmed, 
and  then  denied  the  charge  of  Christianity;  declaring  that  they  had  been 
Christians,  but  had  ceased  to  be  so  some  three  years  ago,  others  even 
longer,  some  even  twenty  years  ago.  All  of  them  worshiped  your  image, 
and  the  statues  of  the  gods,  and  also  execrated  Christ.  And  this  was  the 
account  which  they  gave  of  the  nature  of  the  religion  they  had  once  pro- 
fessed, whether  it  deserves  the  name  of  crime  or  eiTor,— namely— that  they 
were  accustomed  on  a  stated  day  to  meet  before  daylight,  and  to  repeat 
among  themselves  a  hymn  to  Christ  as  to  a  god,  and  to  bind  themselves  by 
an  oath,  with  an  obligation  ol  not  committing  any  wickedness;— but  on 
the  contrary,  of  abstaining  from  thefts,  robberies,  and  adulteries;— also  of 
not  violating  their  promise  or  denying  a  pledge;— after  which  it  was  then- 
custom  to  separate,  and  to  meet  again  at  a  promiscuous,  harmless  meal, 
from  which  last  practice  they  however  desisted,  after  the  publication  of  my 
edict,  in  which,  agreeably  to  your  order,  I  forbade  any  societies  of  that  sort. 
On  which  account  I  judged  it  the  more  necessary  to  inquire,  by  torture, 
from  two  females,  who  were  said  to  be  deaconesses,  what  is  the  real  truth. 
But  nothing  could  I  collect  except  a  depraved  and  excessive  superstition. 
Deferring,  therefore  any  farther  investigation,  I  determined  to  consult  you. 
For  the  number  of  culprits  is  so  great  as  to  call  for  serious  consultation. 
Many  persons  are  informed  against  of  every  age  and  of  both  sexes;  and 
more  still  will  be  in  the  same  situation.  The  contagion  of  the  superstition 
hath  spread  not  only  through  cities,  but  even  villages  and  the  country. 
Not  that  I  think  it  impossible  to  check  and  correct  it.  The  success  of  my 
endeavors  hitherto  forbids  such  desponding  thoughts;  for  the  temples, 
almost  once  desolate,  begin  to  be  frequented,  and  the  sacred  solemnities, 
which  had  long  been  intermitted,  are  now  attended  afresh;  and  the  sacri- 
ficial victims  are  now  sold  everywhere,  which  once  could  scarecly  find  a 
purchaser.  Whence  I  conclude  that  many  might  be  reclaimed  were  the 
hope  of  impunity,  on  repentance,  absolutely  confirmed." 

The  emperor's  reply  follows: 
"Trajan  to  Pliny: 

"You  have  done  perfectly  right,  my  dear  Pliny,  in  the  inquiry  which 
you  have  made  concerning  Christians.  For  truly  no  one  general  rule  can 
be  laid  down,  which  will  apply  itself  to  all  cases.  These  people  must  not  be 
sought  after.  If  they  are  brought  before  you  and  convicted,  let  them  be 
capitally  punished,  yet  with  this  restriction,  that  if  any  one  renounce  Chris- 
tianity, and  evidence  his  sincerity  by  supplicating  our  gods,  however  sus- 
pected he  may  be  for  the  past,  he  shall  obtain  pardon  for  the  future,  on 
his  repentance.  But  anonymous  libels  in  no  case  ought  to  be  attended  to; 
for  the  precedent  would  be  of  the  worst  sort,  and  perfectly  incongruous 
to  the  maxims  of  my  government." 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Causes  of  the  Apostasy.— Internal  Causes. 

1.  The  cruel  persecution  to  which  the  adherents  of  Christi- 
anity and  the  Church  as  an  organized  body  were  subjected  dur- 
ing the  first  three  centuries  of  our  era  have  been  treated  as  ex- 
ternal causes,  contributing  at  least  indirectly  to  the  general 
apostasy.  Details  of  Judaistic  and  heathen  opposition  have  been 
given  with  sufficient  fulness  to  show  that  the  unpopular  Church 
had  a  troubled  existence,  and  that  such  of  its  members  as  re- 
mained faithful  to  the  tenets  and  principles  of  the  gospel  were 
martyrs  in  spirit  if  not  in  fact. 

2.  As  would  naturally  be  expected,  the  immediate  effect  of 
persistent  persecution  on  those  who  professed  a  belief  in  the 
divinity  of  the  Lord  Jesus  was  diverse  and  varied;  indeed  it 
ranged  from  unrestrained  enthusiasm  expressed  in  frenzied 
clamoring  for  martyrdom,  to  ready  and  abject  apostasy  with 
ostentatious  display  of  devotion  in  idolatrous  service. 

3.  Many  of  the  Christian  devotees  developed  a  zeal  amount- 
ing to  mania,  and,  disregarding  all  prudence  and  discretion, 
gloried  in  the  prospect  of  winning  the  martyr's  crown.  Some 
who  had  been  left  unassailed  felt  themselves  aggrieved,  and  be- 
came their  own  accusers  while  others  openly  committed  acts  of 
aggression  with  intent  to  bring  resentment  upon  themselves.— 
(See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.)  These  extravagances  were  doubt- 
less encouraged  by  the  excessive  veneration  accorded  the  mem- 
ories of  the  bodily  remains  of  those  who  had  fallen  as  victims 
in  the  cause.  The  reverential  respect  so  rendered  developed 
later  into  the  impious  practice  of  martyr  worship. 

4.  Commenting  on  the  imprudent  enthusiasm  of  the  early 
Christians,  Gibbon  says:  "The  Christians  sometimes  supplied  by 
their  voluntary  declaration  the  want  of  an  accuser,  rudely  dis- 
turbed the  public  service  of  paganism,  and,  rushing  in  crowds 
round  the  tribunal  of  the  magistrates,  called  upon  them  to  pro- 
nounce and  to  inflict  the  sentence  of  the  law.  The  behavior  of 
the  Christians  was  too  remarkable  to  escape  the  notice  of  the 
ancient  philosophers;  but  they  seem  to  have  received  it  with 
much  less  admiration  than  astonishment.  Incapable  of  conceiv- 
ing the  motives  which  sometimes  transported  the  fortitude  of 


INTERNAL  CAUSES 


65 


believers  beyond  the  bounds  of  prudence  and  reason,  they 
treated  such  an  eagerness  to  die  as  the  strange  result  of  obsti- 
nate despair,  of  stupid  insensibility  or  of  superstitious  frenzy." 
(Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,"  ch.  XVI.) 

5.  But  there  is  another  side  to  the  picture.  While  im- 
prudent zealots  invited  dangers  from  which  they  might  have  re- 
mained exempt,  others,  affrighted  at  the  possibility  of  being  in- 
cluded among  the  victims,  voluntarily  deserted  the  Church  and 
returned  to  heathen  allegiances.  Milner,  speaking  of  condi- 
tions existing  in  the  third  century,  and  incorporating  the  words 
of  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage,  who  lived  at  the  time  of  the  inci- 
dent described,  says:  "Vast  numbers  lapsed  into  idolatry  im- 
mediately. Even  before  men  were  accused  as  Christians,  many 
ran  to  the  forum  and  sacrificed  to  the  gods  as  they  were  ordered; 
and  the  crowds  of  apostates  were  so  great,  that  the  magistrates 
wished  to  delay  numbers  of  them  till  the  next  day,  but  they  were 
importuned  by  the  wretched  suppliants  to  be  allowed  to  prove 
themselves  heathens  that  very  night."— (Milner,  "Church  His- 
tory," Cent.  Ill,  ch.  8.) 

6.  In  connection  with  this  individual  apostasy  of  Church 
members  under  the  pressure  of  persecution,  there  arose  among 
the  provincial  governors  a  practice  of  selling  certificates  or 
"libels"  as  these  documents  were  called,  which  "attested  that  the 
persons  therein  mentioned  had  complied  with  the  laws  and  sac- 
rificed to  the  Roman  deities.  By  producing  these  false  declara- 
tions, the  opulent  and  timid  Christians  were  enabled  to  silence 
the  malice  of  an  informer,  and  to  reconcile,  in  some  measure, 
their  safety  with  their  religion."— (Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire,"  ch.  XVI.)  A  modification  of  this  practice 
of  quasi-apostasy  consisted  in  procuring  testimonials  from  per- 
sons of  standing  certifying  that  the  holders  had  abjured  the 
gospel;  these  documents  were  presented  to  the  heathen  magis- 
trates, and  they,  on  receipt  of  a  specified  fee,  granted  exemption 
from  the  requirement  of  sacrificing  to  the  pagan  gods.— (See 
Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  Ill,  ch.  9.)  As  a  result  of  these 
practices,  whereby  under  favorable  circumstances  the  wealthy 
could  purchase  immunity  from  persecution,  and  at  the  same 
time  maintain  a  semblance  of  standing  in  the  Church,  much  dis- 
sension arose,  the  question  being  as  to  whether  those  who  had 
thus  shown  their  weakness  could  ever  be  received  again  into 
communion  with  the  Church. 


06 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


7.  Persecution  at  most  was  but  an  indirect  cause  of  the  de- 
cline of  Christianity  and  the  perversion  of  the  saving  principles 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The  greater  and  more  immediate  dan- 
gers threatening  the  Church  must  be  sought  within  the  body 
itself.  Indeed,  the  pressure  of  opposition  from  without  served 
to  restrain  the  bubbling  springs  of  internal  dissension,  and  ac- 
tually delayed  the  more  destructive  eruptions  of  schism  and 
heresy.— (See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.)  A  general  review  of  the 
history  of  the  Church  down  to  the  end  of  the  third  century 
shows  that  the  periods  of  comparative  peace  were  periods  of 
weakness  and  decline  in  spiritual  earnestness,  and  that  with 
the  return  of  persecution  came  an  awakening  and  a  renewal  in 
Christian  devotion.  Devout  leaders  of  the  people  were  not 
backward  in  declaring  that  each  recurring  period  of  persecu- 
tion was  a  time  of  natural  and  necessary  chastisement  for  the 
sin  and  corruption  that  had  gained  headway  within  the  Church. 
—(See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter.) 

8.  As  to  the  condition  of  the  Church  in  the  middle  of  the 
third  century,  Cyprian,  the  bishop  of  Carthage,  thus  speaks:  "If 
the  cause  of  our  miseries  be  investigated,  the  cure  of  the  wound 
may  be  found.  The  Lord  would  have  his  family  to  be  tried. 
And  because  long  peace  had  corrupted  the  discipline  divinely 
revealed  to  us,  the  heavenly  chastisement  hath  raised  up  our 
faith,  which  had  lain  almost  dormant;  and  when,  by  our  sins, 
we  have  deserved  to  suffer  still  more,  the  merciful  Lord  so 
moderated  all  things,  that  the  whole  scene  rather  deserves  the 
name  of  a  trial  than  a  persecution.  Each  had  been  bent  on  im- 
proving his  patrimony;  and  had  forgotten  what  believers  had 
done  under  the  apostles,  and  what  they  ought  always  to  do:— 
they  were  brooding  over  the  arts  of  amassing  wealth:— the 
pastors  and  the  deacons  each  forgot  their  duty:  Works  of  mercy 
were  neglected,  and  discipline  was  at  the  lowest  ebb.— Luxury 
and  effeminancy  prevailed:  Meretricious  arts  in  dress  were  cul- 
tivated: Frauds  and  deceit  were  practiced  among  brethren.— 
Christians  could  unite  themselves  in  matrimony  with  unbeliev- 
ers; could  swear  not  only  without  reverence,  but  even  without 
veracity.  With  haughty  asperity  they  despised  their  ecclesiasti- 
cal superiors:  They  railed  against  one  another  with  outrageous 
acrimony,  and  conducted  quarrels  with  determined  malice:— 
Even  many  bishops,  who  ought  to  be  guides  and  patterns  to  the 
rest,  neglecting  the  peculiar  duties  of  their  stations,  gave  them- 


INTERNAL  CAUSES 


67 


selves  up  to  secular  pursuits:— They  deserted  their  places  of  resi- 
dence and  their  flocks:  They  traveled  through  distant  provinces 
in  quest  of  pleasure  and  gain;  gave  no  assistance  to  the  needy 
brethren;  but  were  insatiable  in  their  thirst  of  money:— They 
possessed  estates  by  fraud  and  multiplied  usury.  What  have  we 
not  deserved  to  suffer  for  such  conduct?  Even  the  divine  word 
hath  foretold  us  what  we  might  expect.— If  his  children  forsake 
my  law,  and  walk  not  in  my  judgments,  I  will  visit  their  offenses 
with  the  rod,  and  their  sin  wtih  scourges.  These  things  had 
been  denounced  and  foretold,  but  in  vain.  Our  sins  had  brought 
our  affairs  to  that  pass,  that  because  we  had  despised  the  Lord's 
directions,  we  were  obliged  to  undergo  a  correction  of  our  mul- 
tiplied evils  and  a  trial  of  our  faith  by  severe  remedies."— (As 
quoted  by  Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  Ill,  ch.  8.) 

9.  Milner,  who  quotes  approvingly  the  severe  arraignment 
of  the  Church  in  the  third  century  as  given  above,  cannot  be 
charged  with  bias  against  Christian  institutions,  inasmuch  as  his 
declared  purpose  in  presenting  to  the  world  an  additional  "His- 
tory of  the  Church  of  Christ"  was  to  give  due  attention  to  certain 
phases  of  the  subject  slighted  or  neglected  by  earlier  authors, 
and  notably  to  emphasize  the  piety,  not  the  wickedness  of  the 
professed  followers  of  Christ.  This  author,  avowedly  friendly 
to  the  Church  and  her  votaries,  admits  the  growing  depravity  of 
the  Christian  sects,  and  declares  that  toward  the  end  of  the  third 
century  the  effect  of  the  Pentecostal  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  become  exhausted,  and  that  there  remained  little 
proof  of  any  close  relationship  between  Christ  and  the  Church. 

10.  Note  his  summary  of  conditions:  "The  era  of  its  actual 
declension  must  be  dated  in  the  pacific  part  of  Diocletian's 
reign.  During  this  whole  century  the  work  of  God,  in  purity 
and  power,  had  been  tending  to  decay.  The  connection  with 
philosophers  was  one  of  the  principal  causes.  Outward  peace 
and  secular  advantages  completed  the  corruption.  Ecclesiastical 
discipline  which  had  been  too  strict,  was  now  relaxed  exceed- 
ingly; bishops  and  people  were  in  a  state  of  malice.  Endless 
quarrels  were  fomented  among  contending  parties,  and  ambi- 
tion and  covetousness  had  in  general  gained  the  ascendency  in 
the  Christian  Church.  0  0  0  The  faith  of  Christ  itself  appeared 
now  as  ordinary  business;  and  there  terminated,  or  nearly  so,  as 
far  as  appears,  the  first  great  effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which 
began  at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Human  depravity  effected 


68 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


throughout  a  general  decay  of  godliness;  and  one  generation  of 
men  elapsed  with  very  slender  proofs  of  the  spiritual  presence 
of  Christ  with  His  Church."—  (Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent. 


11.  If  further  evidence  be  wanted  as  to  the  fires  of  disaffec- 
tion smouldering  within  the  Church,  and  so  easily  fanned  into 
destructive  flame,  let  the  testimony  of  Eusebius  be  considered 
with  respect  to  conditions  characterizing  the  second  half  of  the 
third  century.  And,  in  weighing  his  words,  let  it  be  remembered 
that  he  had  expressly  recorded  his  purpose  of  writing  in  defense 
of  the  Church,  and  in  support  of  her  institutions.  He  bewails 
the  tranquility  preceding  the  Diocletian  outbreak,  because  of  its 
injurious  effect  upon  both  officers  and  members  of  the  Church. 
These  are  his  words:  "But  when  by  excessive  liberty  we  have 
sunk  into  indolence  and  sloth,  one  envying  and  reviling  another 
in  different  ways,  and  we  were  almost,  as  it  were,  on  the  point 
of  taking  up  arms  against  each  other,  and  were  assailing  each 
other  with  words,  as  with  darts  and  spears,  prelates  inveighing 
against  prelates,  and  people  rising  up  against  people,  and  hy- 
pocrisy and  dissimulation  had  arisen  to  the  greater  heights  of 
malignity,  then  the  divine  judgment,  which  usually  proceeds 
with  a  lenient  hand,  whilst  the  multitudes  were  yet  crowding 
into  the  Church,  with  gentle  and  mild  visitations  began  to  afflict 
its  episcopacy;  the  persecution  having  begun  with  those  breth- 
ren that  were  in  the  army.  *  *  *  But  some  that  appeared  to  be 
our  pastors,  deserting  the  law  of  piety,  were  inflamed  against 
each  other  with  mutual  strifes,  accumulating  quarrels  and 
threats,  rivalry,  hostility,  and  hatred  to  each  other,  only  anxious 


selves."—  ( Eusebius,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Book  VIII,  ch.  1. 
See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

12.  As  further  illustrative  of  the  decline  of  the  Christian 
spirit  toward  the  end  of  the  third  century,  Milner  quotes  the  fol- 
lowing observation  of  Eusebius,  an  eye-witness  of  the  conditions 
described:  "The  heavy  hand  of  God's  judgment  began  softly,  by 
little  and  little,  to  visit  us  after  His  wonted  manner;  •  *  *  but 
we  were  not  at  all  moved  with  his  hand,  nor  took  any  pains  to 
return  to  God.  We  heaped  sin  upon  sin,  judging  like  careless 
Epicureans,  that  God  cared  not  for  our  sins,  nor  would  ever  visit 
us  on  account  of  them.  And  our  pretended  shepherds,  laying 
aside  the  rule  of  godliness,  practiced  among  themselves  conten- 


III,  ch.  17.) 


to  assert  the  government 


INTERNAL  CAUSES 


69 


tion  and  division."  He  adds  that  the  "dreadful  persecution  of 
Diocletian  was  then  inflicted  on  the  Church  as  a  just  punish- 
ment, and  as  the  most  proper  chastisement  for  their  iniquities."— 
(Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  Ill,  ch.  17.) 

13.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  great  change  whereby 
the  Church  was  raised  to  a  place  of  honor  in  the  state,  occurred 
in  the  early  part  of  the  fourth  century.  It  is  a  popular  error  to 
assume  that  the  decay  of  the  Church  as  a  spiritual  institution 
dates  from  that  time.  The  picture  of  the  Church  declining  as  to 
spiritual  power  in  exact  proportion  to  her  increase  of  temporal 
influence  and  wealth  has  appealed  to  rhetoricians  and  writers  of 
sensational  literature;  but  such  a  picture  does  not  present  the 
truth.  The  Church  was  saturated  with  the  spirit  of  apostasy  long 
before  Constantine  took  it  under  his  powerful  protection  by  ac- 
cording it  official  standing  in  the  state.  In  support  of  this  state- 
ment, I  quote  again  from  Milner,  the  avowed  friend  of  the 
Church:  "I  know  it  is  common  for  authors  to  represent  the 
great  declension  of  Christianity  to  have  taken  place  only  after 
its  external  establishment  under  Constantine.  But  the  evidence 
of  history  has  compelled  me  to  dissent  from  this  view  of  things. 
In  fact,  we  have  seen  that  for  a  whole  generation  previous  to 
the  [Diocletian]  persecution,  few  marks  of  superior  piety  ap- 
peared. Scarce  a  luminary  of  godliness  existed;  and  it  is  not 
common  in  any  age  for  a  great  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be 
exhibited  but  under  the  conduct  of  some  remarkable  saints, 
pastors,  and  reformers.  This  whole  period  as  well  as  the  whole 
scene  of  the  persecution  is  very  barren  in  such  characters.  °  *  * 
Moral  and  philosophical  and  monastical  instructions  will  not 
effect  for  men  what  is  to  be  expected  from  evangelical  doctrine. 
And  if  the  faith  of  Christ  was  so  much  declined  (and  its  de- 
cayed state  ought  to  be  dated  from  about  the  year  270) ,  we  need 
not  wonder  that  such  scenes  as  Eusebius  hints  at  without  any 
circumstantial  details,  took  place  in  the  Christian  world.  *  *  0 
He  speaks  also  of  the  ambitious  spirit  of  many,  in  aspiring  to 
the  offices  of  the  Church,  the  ill  judged  and  unlawful  ordina- 
tions, the  quarrels  among  confessors  themselves,  and  the  con- 
tentions excited  by  young  demagogues  in  the  very  relics  of  the 
persecuted  Church,  and  the  multiplied  evils  which  their  vices 
excited  among  Christians.  How  sadly  must  the  Christian  world 
have  declined  which  could  thus  conduct  itself  under  the  very  rod 


70 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


of  divine  vengeance?  Yet  let  not  the  infidel  or  the  profane 
world  triumph.  It  was  not  Christianity,  but  the  departure  from 
it,  which  brought  on  these  evils."— (Milner,  "Church  History," 
Cent.  IV,  ch.  I.  The  italics  are  introduced  by  the  present  writer. 
See  also  Note  5,  end  of  chapter. ) 

14.  The  foregoing  embodies  but  a  few  of  the  many  evi- 
dences that  could  be  cited  in  demonstration  of  the  fact  that 
during  the  period  immediately  following  the  apostolic  ministry— 
the  period  covered  by  the  persecutions  of  the  Christians  by  the 
heathen  nations,— the  Church  was  undergoing  internal  deterior- 
ation, and  was  in  a  state  of  increasing  perversion.  Among  the 
more  detailed  or  specific  causes  of  this  ever  widening  departure 
from  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  this  rapidly  growing 
apostasy,  the  followng  may  be  considered  as  important  ex- 
amples: 

( 1 )  The  corrupting  of  the  simple  principles  of  the  gospel 
by  the  admixture  of  the  so-called  philosophic  systems  of  the 
times. 

(2)  .  Unauthorized  additions  to  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Church,  and  the  introduction  of  vital  changes  in  essential  or- 
dinances. 

(3)  .  Unauthorized  changes  in  Church  organization  and 
government. 

15.  We  shall  consider  in  due  order  each  of  the  three  causes 
here  enumerated.  It  may  appear  that  the  conditions  set  forth  in 
these  specifications  are  more  properly  to  be  regarded  as  effects 
or  results,  than  as  causes,  incident  to  the  general  apostasy,— 
that  they  are  in  the  nature  of  evidences  or  proofs  of  a  departure 
from  the  original  constitution  of  the  Church,  rather  than  specific 
causes  by  which  the  fact  of  apostasy  is  to  be  explained  or  ac- 
counted for.  Cause  and  effect,  however,  are  sometimes  very 
intimately  associated,  and  resulting  conditions  may  furnish  the 
best  demonstration  of  causes  in  operation.  Each  of  the  condi- 
tions given  above  as  a  specific  cause  of  the  progressive  apostasy 
was,  at  its  inception,  an  evidence  of  existing  unsoundness,  and 
an  active  cause  of  the  graver  results  that  followed.  Each  suc- 
ceeding manifestation  of  the  spirit  of  apostasy  was  at  once  the 
result  of  earlier  disaffection,  and  the  cause  of  later  and  more  pro- 
nounced developments. 


NOTES 


71 


NOTES 

1.  Inordinate  Zeal  Manifested  by  Some  of  the  Early  Christians:  "The 
sober  discretion  of  the  present  age  will  more  readily  censure  than  admire 
but  can  more  easily  admire  than  imitate,  the  fervor  of  the  first  Christians; 
who,  according  to  the  lively  expression  of  Sulpicius  Severus,  desired  mar- 
tyrdom with  more  eagerness  than  his  own  contemporaries  solicited  a  bish- 
opric. The  epistles  which  Ignatius  composed  as  he  was  carried  in  chains 
through  the  cities  of  Asia,  breathe  sentiments  the  most  repugnant  to  the 
ordinary  feelings  of  human  nature.  He  earnestly  beseeches  the  Romans 
that  when  he  should  be  exposed  in  the  amphitheatre,  they  would  not  by 
their  kind  but  unreasonable  intercession,  deprive  him  of  the  crown  of 
glory,  and  he  declares  his  resolution  to  provoke  and  irritate  the  wild  beasts 
which  might  be  employed  as  the  instruments  of  his  death.  Some  stories  are 
related  of  the  courage  of  martjTs  who  actually  performed  what  Ignatius 
had  intended:  who  exasperated  the  fury  of  the  lions,  pressed  the  execu- 
tioner to  hasten  his  office,  cheerfully  leaped  into  the  fires  which  were 
kindled  to  consume  them,  and  discovered  a  sensation  of  joy  and  pleasure 
in  the  midst  of  the  most  exquisite  torture."  ( Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall 
of  the  Roman  Empire,"  ch.  XVI. ) 

2.  Internal  Dissensions  During  Time  of  Peace.  As  stated  in  the  text, 
the  early  part  of  Diocletian's  reign— the  period  immediately  preceding  the 
outburst  of  the  last  great  persecution  to  which  the  Christians  were  sub- 
jected—was a  time  of  comparative  freedom  from  opposition,  and  this 
period  was  characterized  by  internal  disturbances  and  dissensions  within 
the  Church.  Illustrative  of  the  tolerance  shown  by  the  emperor  before  he 
became  hostile  to  the  Church  and  the  accompanying  decline  of  spiritual 
earnestness  among  the  Christians  themselves,  Gibbon  says:  "Diocletian 
and  his  colleagues  frequently  conferred  the  most  important  offices  on  those 
persons  who  avowed  their  abhorrence  of  the  worship  of  the  gods,  but  who 
had  displayed  abilities  proper  for  the  service  of  the  state.  The  bishops 
held  an  honorable  rank  in  the  respective  provinces,  and  were  treated  with 
distinction  and  respect,  not  only  by  the  people,  but  by  the  magistrates 
themselves.  Almost  in  every  city  the  ancient  churches  were  found  insuffi- 
cient to  contain  the  multitude  of  proselytes;  and  in  their  place  more 
stately  and  capacious  edifices  were  erected  for  the  public  worship  of  the 
faithful.  The  corruption  of  manners  and  principles  so  forcibly  lamented 
by  Eusebius,  may  be  considered  not  only  as  a  consequence,  but  as  a 
proof,  of  the  liberty  which  the  Christians  enjoyed  and  abused  under  the 
reign  of  Diocletian.  Prosperity  had  relaxed  the  nerves  of  discipline.  Fraud, 
envy,  and  malice  prevailed  in  every  congregation.  The  presbyters  aspired 
to  the  episcopal  office,  which  every  day  became  an  object  more  worthy  of 
their  ambition.  The  bishops  who  contended  with  each  other  for  ecclesiasti- 
cal pre-eminence,  appeared  by  their  conduct  to  claim  a  secular  and  tyran- 
nical power  in  the  church;  and  the  lively  faith  which  still  distinguished 
the  Christians  from  the  Gentiles,  was  shown  much  less  in  their  lives  than 
in  their  controversial  writings."  ( Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire,"  ch.  XVI. ) 

3.  The  Effect  of  Peace  on  the  Early  Church.  "Disastrous  as  the  per- 
secutions of  the  early  Christian  centuries  were,  still  more  mischievous  to 
the  Church  were  those  periods  of  tranquility  which  intervened  between 
the  outbursts  of  rage  which  prompted  them.  Peace  may  have  her  victories 


72 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


no  less  renowned  than  those  of  war;  and  so,  too,  she  has  her  calamities, 
and  they  are  not  less  destructive  than  those  of  war.  War  may  destroy 
nations,  but  ease  and  luxury  mankind  corrupt— the  body  and  the  mind. 
Especially  is  peace  dangerous  to  the  church.  Prosperity  relaxes  the  reins 
of  discipline;  people  feel  less  and  less  the  need  of  a  sustaining  providence; 
but  in  adversity  the  spirit  of  man  feels  after  God,  and  he  is  correspond- 
ingly more  devoted  to  the  service  of  religion.  We  shall  find  the  early 
Christians  no  exception  to  the  operation  of  this  influence  of  repose.  When- 
ever it  was  accorded  them,  either  through  the  mercy  or  the  indifference  of 
the  emperors,  internal  dissensions,  the  intrigues  of  aspiring  prelates,  and 
the  rise  of  heresies,  characterized  those  periods."  ( B.  H.  Roberts,  "A  New 
Witness  for  God,"  p.  70. ) 

4.  Schisms  and  Heresies  in  the  Early  Church.  Eusebius,  whose  writ- 
ings date  from  the  early  part  of  the  fourth  century,  cites  the  writings  of 
Hegesippus,  who  lived  the  first  quarter  of  the  second  century,  as  fol- 
lows: "The  same  author  [Hegesippus]  also  treats  of  the  beginning  of  the 
heresies  that  arose  about  this  time,  in  the  following  words:  'But  after 
James  the  Just  had  suffered  martyrdom,  as  our  Lord  had  for  the  same 
reason,  Simeon,  the  son  of  Cleophas,  our  Lord's  uncle,  was  appointed  the 
second  bishop  [of  Jerusalem]  whom  all  proposed  as  the  cousin  of  our 
Lord.  Hence  they  called  the  Church  as  yet  a  virgin,  for  it  was  not  yet  cor- 
rupted by  vain  discourses.  Thebuthis  made  a  beginning,  secredy  to  cor- 
rupt it  on  account  of  his  not  being  made  bishop.  He  was  one  of  those 
seven  sects  among  the  Jewish  people.  Of  these  also  was  Simeon,  whence 
sprang  the  sect  of  Simonians;  also  Cleobius,  from  whence  came  the  Cleo- 
bians;  also  Dositheus,  the  founder  of  the  Dositheans.  From  these  also 
sprung  the  Gortheonians  from  Gortheoeus;  and  also  Masbotheans  from 
Masbothoeus.  Hence  also  the  Meandrians,  the  Marcionists,  and  Carpocra- 
tians  and  Valentinians,  and  Basilidians,  and  the  Saturnillians,  every  one 
introducting  his  own  peculiar  opinions,  one  differing  from  the  other.  From 
these  sprung  the  false  Christs  and  the  false  prophets  and  false  apostles, 
who  divided  the  unity  of  the  Church  by  the  introduction  of  corrupt  doc- 
trines against  God  and  against  His  Christ."  (Eusebius,  "Ecclesiastical 
History,"  Book  IV,  ch.  22.) 

5.  Early  Decline  of  the  Church:  Milner,  summing  up  the  conditions 
attending  the  Church  at  the  end  of  the  second  century,  says:  "And  here 
we  close  the  view  of  the  second  century,  which  for  the  most  part  exhibited 
proofs  of  divine  grace,  as  strong,  or  nearly  so,  as  the  first.  We  have  seen 
the  same  unshaken  and  simple  faith  of  Jesus,  the  same  love  of  God  and 
of  the  brethren;  and— that  in  which  they  singularly  excelled  modern  Chris- 
tians—the same  heavenly  spirit  and  victory  over  the  world.  But  a  dark 
shade  is  enveloping  these  divine  glories.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  grieved  al- 
ready by  the  ambitious  intrusions  of  self-righteous,  argumentive  refine- 
ments, and  Pharisaic  pride;  and  though  it  be  more  common  to  represent 
the  most  sensible  decay  of  godliness  as  commencing  a  century  later,  to 
me  it  seems  already  begun."  ( Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  II,  ch.  9. ) 

Mosheim,  writing  of  conditions  attending  the  closing  years  of  the 
third  century,  says:  'The  ancient  method  of  ecclesiastical  government 
seemed  in  general  still  to  subsist,  while  at  the  same  time,  by  imperceptible 
steps,  it  varied  from  the  primitive  rule  and  degenerated  toward  the  form 
of  a  religious  monarchy.  0  0  0  This  change  in  the  form  of  ecclesiastical 


NOTES 


73 


government  was  soon  followed  by  a  train  of  vices,  which  dishonored  the 
character  and  authority  of  those  to  whom  the  administration  of  the  Church 
was  committed.  For,  though  several  yet  continued  to  exhibit  to  the  world 
illustrative  examples  of  primitive  piety  and  Christian  virtue,  yet  many 
were  sunk  in  luxury  and  voluptuousness,  puffed  up  with  vanity,  arrogance 
and  ambition,  possessed  with  a  spirit  of  contention  and  discord,  and  ad- 
dicted to  many  other  vices  that  cast  an  undeserved  reproach  upon  the 
holy  religion  of  which  they  were  the  unworthy  professors  and  ministers. 
This  is  testified  in  such  an  ample  manner  by  the  repeated  complaints  of 
many  of  the  most  respectable  writers  of  this  age,  that  truth  will  not  per- 
mit us  to  spread  the  veil,  which  we  should  otherwise  be  desirous  to  cast 
over  such  enormities  among  an  order  so  sacred.  The  bishops  assumed  in 
many  places  a  princely  authority,  particularly  those  who  had  the  greatest 
number  of  churches  under  their  inspection,  and  who  presided  over  the 
most  opulent  assemblies.  They  appropriated  to  their  evangelical  function 
the  splendid  ensigns  of  temporal  majesty.  A  throne,  surrounded  with  min- 
isters, exalted  above  his  equals  the  servant  of  the  meek  and  humble  Jesus; 
and  sumptuous  garments  dazzled  the  eyes  and  the  minds  of  the  multitude 
into  an  ignorant  veneration  of  their  arrogated  authority.  The  example  of 
the  bishops  was  ambitiously  imitated  by  the  presbyterians,  who,  neglecting 
the  sacred  duties  of  their  station,  abandoned  themselves  to  the  indolence 
and  delicacy  of  an  effeminate  and  luxurious  life.  The  deacons,  beholding 
the  presbyters  deserting  thus  their  functions,  boldly  usurped  their  rights 
and  privileges,  and  the  effects  of  a  corrupt  ambition  were  spread  through 
every  rank  of  the  order  sacred."  ( Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent. 
Ill,  Part  II,  ch.  2:3,  4.) 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

1.  First  among  the  specific  causes  of  disturbance  operating 
within  the  Church,  and  contributing  to  its  apostasy,  we  have 
named:  "The  corrupting  of  the  simple  principles  of  the  gospel 
bij  the  admixture  of  the  so-called  philosophic  systems  of  the 
times." 

2.  The  attempted  grafting  of  foreign  doctrines  on  the  true 
vine  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  was  characteristic  of  the  early  years 
of  the  apostolic  period.  We  read  of  the  sorcerer  Simon,  who 
professed  belief  and  entered  the  Church  by  baptism,  but  who 
was  so  devoid  of  the  true  spirit  of  the  gospel  that  he  sought  to 
purchase  by  money  the  authority  of  the  power  of  the  priesthood. 
-(See  Acts  8:9,  13, 18-24. )  This  man,  though  rebuked  by  Peter, 
and  apparently  penitent,  continued  to  trouble  the  Church,  by  in- 
culcating heresies  and  winning  disciples  within  the  fold.  His 
followers  were  distinguished  as  a  sect  or  cult  down  to  the  fourth 
century;  and,  writing  at  that  time,  Eusebius  says  of  them: 
"These,  after  the  manner  of  their  founder,  insinuating  them- 
selves into  the  Church,  like  a  pestilential  and  leprous  disease,  in- 
fected those  with  the  greatest  corruption,  into  whom  they  were 
able  to  infuse  their  secret,  irremediable,  and  destructive  poison." 
—  (Eusebius,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Book  II,  ch.  1  )  This  Si- 
mon, known  in  history  as  Simon  Magus,  is  referred  to  by  early 
Christian  writers,  as  the  founder  of  heresy,  owing  to  his  persist- 
ent attempts  to  combine  Christianity  with  Gnosticism.  It  is  with 
reference  to  his  proposition  to  purchase  spiritual  authority  that 
all  traffic  in  spiritual  offices  has  come  to  be  known  as  simony. 

3.  Through  the  mouth  of  the  Revelator,  the  Lord  reproved 
certain  of  the  churches  for  their  adoption  or  toleration  of  doc- 
trines and  practices  alien  to  the  gospel.  Notably  is  this  the  case 
with  respect  to  the  Nicoliatanes,  and  the  followers  of  the  doc- 
trines of  Balaam.— (See  Rev.  2:15;  compare  verse  6;  see  also 
verse  20.  See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.) 

4.  The  perversion  of  true  theology  thus  developed  within 
the  Church  is  traceable  to  the  introduction  of  both  Judaistic  and 
pagan  fallacies.— (See'  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.)  Indeed,  at  the 


JUDAISTIC  PERVERSIONS 


75 


opening  of  the  Christian  era  and  for  centuries  thereafter,  Juda- 
ism was  more  or  less  intimately  mixed  with  pagan  philosophy, 
and  contaminated  with  heathen  ceremonies.  There  were  num- 
erous sects  and  parties,  cults  and  schools,  each  advocating  rival 
theories  as  to  the  constitution  of  the  soul,  the  essence  of  sin, 
the  nature  of  Deity,  and  a  multitude  of  other  mysteries.  The 
Christians  were  soon  embroiled  in  endless  controversies  among 
themselves. 

5.  Judaistic  converts  to  Christianity  sought  to  modify  and 
adapt  the  tenets  of  the  new  faith  so  as  to  harmonize  them  with 
their  inherited  love  of  Judaism,  and  the  result  was  destructive  to 
both.  Our  Lord  had  indicated  the  futility  of  any  such  attempts 
to  combine  new  principles  with  old  systems,  or  to  patch  up  the 
prejudices  of  the  past  with  fragments  of  new  doctrine.  "No 
man,"  said  He,  "putteth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  unto  an  old  gar- 
ment, for  that  which  is  put  in  to  fill  it  up  taketh  from  the  gar- 
ment, and  the  rent  is  made  worse.  Neither  do  men  put  new  wine 
into  old  bottles;  else  the  bottles  break,  and  the  wine  runneth  out, 
and  the  bottles  perish:  but  they  put  new  wine  into  new  bottles, 
and  both  are  preserved."— (Matt.  9:16, 17.)  The  gospel  came  as 
a  new  revelation,  marking  the  fulfillment  of  the  law;  it  was  no 
mere  addendum,  nor  was  it  a  simple  re-enactment  of  past  re- 
quirements; it  embodied  a  new  and  an  everlasting  covenant.  At- 
tempts to  patch  the  Judaistic  robe  with  the  new  fabric  of  the 
gospel  could  result  in  nothing  more  sightly  than  a  hideous  rent. 
The  new  wine  of  the  covenant  could  not  be  bottled  in  the  time- 
eaten  leathern  containers  of  Mosaic  libations.  Judaism  was  be- 
littled and  Christianity  perverted  by  the  incongruous  associa- 
tion. 

6.  Among  the  early  and  most  pernicious  adulterations  of 
Christian  doctrine  is  the  introduction  of  the  teachings  of  the 
Gnostics.  These  self-styled  philosophers  put  forth  the  boastful 
claim  that  they  were  able  to  lead  the  human  mind  to  a  full  com- 
prehension of  the  Supreme  Being,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  true 
relationship  between  Deity  and  mortals.  They  said  in  effect  that 
a  certain  being  had  existed  from  all  eternity,  manifested  as  a 
radiant  light  diffused  throughout  space,  and  this  they  called 
the  Fleroma.  "The  eternal  nature,  infinitely  perfect  and  in- 
finitely happy,  having  dwelt  from  everlasting  in  a  profound 
solitude,  and  in  a  blessed  tranquility  produced  at  length  from 
itself,  two  minds  of  a  different  sex,  which  resembled  their 


76 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


supreme  parent  in  the  most  perfect  manner.  From  the  prolific 
union  of  these  two  beings,  others  arose,  which  were  also  fol- 
lowed by  succeeding  generations;  so  that  in  process  of  time  a 
celestial  family  was  formed  in  the  Pleroma.  This  divine  progeny, 
immutable  in  its  nature,  and  above  the  power  of  mortality,  was 
called,  by  the  philosophers,  Aeon— a.  term  which  signifies,  in  the 
Greek  language,  an  eternal  nature.  How  many  in  number  these 
Aeons  were  was  a  point  much  controverted  among  the  oriental 
sages."— (Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Cent.  I,  Part  II, 
1:7.) 

7.  Then  one  of  the  Aeons,  distinctively  called  the  Demi- 
urge, created  this  world,  and  arrogantly  asserted  dominion  over 
the  same,  denying  absolutely  the  authority  of  the  supreme  par- 
ent. The  Gnostic  doctrine  declares  man  to  be  a  union  of  the 
body,  which,  being  the  creation  of  the  Demiurge,  is  essentially 
evil,  and  a  spirit,  which,  being  derived  from  Deity,  is  character- 
istically good.  The  spirits  thus  imprisoned  in  evil  bodies  will 
be  finally  liberated,  and  then  the  power  of  the  Demiurge  will 
cease,  and  the  earth  will  be  dissolved  into  nothingness. 

8.  Our  justification  for  introducing  here  this  partial  sum- 
mary of  Gnosticism  is  the  fact  that  early  efforts  were  made  to 
accommodate  the  tenets  of  this  system  to  the  demands  of  Chris- 
tianity; and  that  Christ  and  the  Holy  Ghost  were  declared  to  be- 
long to  the  family  of  Aeons  provided  for  in  this  scheme.  This 
led  to  the  extravagant  absurdity  of  denying  that  Jesus  had  a 
body  even  while  He  lived  as  a  man;  and  that  His  appearance  as 
a  corporeal  being  was  a  deception  of  the  senses  wrought  by  His 
supernatural  power.— (See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter.) 

9.  That  the  doctrines  of  the  Gnostics  were  unsatisfying 
even  to  those  who  professed  to  believe  therein  is  evident  from 
the  many  cults  and  parties  that  came  into  existence  as  subdivi- 
sions of  the  main  sect;  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  modern 
times  certain  free-thinkers  have  prided  themselves  in  assuming 
a  title  expressing  the  full  antithesis  of  the  name  Gnostics,  viz. 
Agnostics. 

10.  The  practical  effect  of  the  principles  of  Gnosticism  in 
the  lives  of  its  adherents  is  strangely  diverse.  One  diversion  of 
the  sect  followed  a  life  of  austerity,  embracing  rigorous  self- 
denial,  and  bodily  torture,  in  the  vain  belief  that  the  malignant 
body  could  thus  be  subdued,  while  the  spirit  would  be  given 
added  power  and  increased  freedom.  Another  cult  sought  to 


PLATONISM 


77 


minimize  the  fundamental  difference  between  right  and  wrong; 
by  denying  the  element  of  morality  in  human  life;  and  these 
abandoned  themselves  to  the  impulses  of  the  passions  and  the 
frailties  of  the  bodily  nature  without  restraint,  on  the  assump- 
tion that  there  was  no  such  relation  between  body  and  soul  as 
would  cause  injury  to  the  latter  through  bodily  indulgences  and 
excesses. 

11.  Another  sect  or  school  whose  doctrines  were  in  a  mea- 
sure amalgamated  with  those  of  Christianity  was  that  of  the 
New  Platonics.  The  ancient  sects  of  Platonists  or  Platonics  were 
allied  in  some  points  of  doctrines  with  the  Epicureans,  and  were 
rivals  if  not  opponents  of  the  Stoics.  The  early  Platonics  held 
that  unorganized  matter  has  existed  from  all  eternity,  and  that 
its  organizer,  God,  is  similarly  eternal.  As  God  is  eternal,  so 
also  His  will  or  intelligence  is  without  beginning,  and  this 
eternal  intelligence  existing  as  the  will  or  intent  of  Deity,  was 
called  the  Logos.  Such  precepts  had  been  taught  long  before  the 
Christian  era,  and  the  philosophy  professed  by  some  of  the  con- 
tending sects  among  the  Jews  in  the  time  of  Christ  had  been 
influenced  thereby. 

12.  As  the  principles  of  Christianity  became  generally 
known,  certain  leaders  in  the  sect  of  Platonics  found  in  the  new 
doctrine  much  to  study  and  admire.  By  this  time,  however, 
Platonism  itself  had  undergone  much  change,  and  the  more  lib- 
eral adherents  had  formed  a  new  organization  and  distinguished 
themselves  by  the  appellation  New  Platonics.  These  professed 
to  find  in  Jesus  Christ  the  incarnation  of  the  Logos,  and  accepted 
with  avidity  the  declaration  of  St.  John:  "In  the  beginning  was 
the  Word  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God. 
*  *  *  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us."— 
(John  1:1,  14.)  According  to  the  Eclectic  or  New  Platonic  phil- 
osophy, the  "Word"  referred  to  by  St.  John  was  the  "Logos" 
described  by  Plato. 

13.  The  Platonic  conception  of  the  Godhead  as  consisting 
of  the  Deity  and  the  Logos,  was  enlarged  in  accordance  with 
Christian  tenets  to  embrace  three  members,  the  Holy  Ghost 
being  the  third.  Thence  arose  bitter  and  lasting  dissension  as  to 
the  relative  powers  of  each  member  of  the  Trinity,  particularly 
the  position  and  authority  of  the  Logos  or  Son.  The  many  dis- 
putes incident  to  the  admixture  of  Platonic  theory  with  Chris- 
tian doctrine  continued  through  the  centuries,  and  in  a  sense 


78 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


may  be  said  to  trouble  the  minds  of  men  even  in  this  modern 

age. 

14.  It  is  wholly  beyond  our  purpose  to  classify  or  describe 
the  hybrid  offspring  resulting  from  the  unnatural  union  of 
pagan  philosophy  and  Christian  truth;  nor  shall  we  attempt  to 
follow  in  detail  the  dissensions  and  quarrels  on  theological 
points  and  questions  of  doctrine.  Our  purpose  is  achieved  when 
by  statement  of  facts  and  citation  of  authority,  the  reality  of  the 
apostasy  is  established.  We  shall  consider  therefore  only  the 
most  important  of  the  dissensions  by  which  the  Church  was 
troubled.— (See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

15.  About  the  middle  of  the  third  century,  Sibellius,  a  pres- 
byter or  bishop  of  the  church  in  Africa,  strongly  advocated  the 
doctrine  of  "trinity  in  unity"  as  characterizing  the  Godhead.  He 
claimed  that  the  divine  nature  of  Christ  was  no  distinct  nor  per- 
sonal attribute  of  the  man  Jesus,  but  merely  a  portion  of  the 
divine  energy,  an  emanation  from  the  Father,  with  which  the 
Son  was  temporarily  endowed;  and  that  in  like  manner  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  a  part  of  the  divine  Father.  These  views  were  as 
vigorously  opposed  by  some  as  defended  by  others,  and  the  dis- 
agreement was  rife  when  Constantine  so  suddenly  changed  the 
status  of  the  Church,  and  brought  to  its  support  the  power  of 
the  state.  Early  in  the  fourth  century  the  dispute  assumed  a 
threatening  aspect  in  a  bitter  contention  between  Alexander, 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  Arius,  one  of  the  subordinate  officers 
of  the  same  church.  Alexander  proclaimed  that  the  Son  was  in 
all  respects  the  equal  of  the  Father,  and  also  of  the  same  sub- 
stance or  essence.  Arius  insisted  that  the  Son  had  been  created 
by  the  Father,  and  therefore  could  not  be  co-eternal  with  His 
divine  Parent;  that  the  Son  was  the  agent  through  whom  the  will 
of  the  Father  was  executed,  and  that  for  this  reason  also  the 
Son  was  inferior  to  the  Father  both  in  nature  and  dignity.  In 
like  manner  the  Holy  Ghost  was  inferior  to  the  other  members 
of  the  Godhead. 

16.  Arianism,  as  the  doctrine  came  to  be  known,  was 
preached  with  vigor  and  denounced  with  energy;  and  the  dis- 
sension thus  occasioned  threatened  to  rend  the  Chuch  to  its 
foundation.  At  least  the  emperor,  Constantine,  was  forced  to  in- 
tervene in  an  effort  to  establish  peace  among  his  contending 
churchmen.  He  summoned  a  council  of  church  dignitaries 
which  assembled  in  the  year  325,  and  which  is  known  from  its 


THE  NICENE  CREED 


79 


place  of  session  as  the  Council  of  Nice.  This  council  condemned 
the  doctrine  of  Arius,  and  pronounced  sentence  of  banishment 
against  its  author.  What  was  declared  to  be  the  orthodox  doc- 
trine of  the  universal  or  Catholic  church  respecting  the  God- 
head was  promulgated  as  follows: 

17.  "We  believe  in  one  God,  the  Father,  Almighty,  the 
maker  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible;  and  in  one  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  begotten  of  the  Father,  only  begotten, 
(that  is)  of  the  substance  of  the  Father;  God  of  God,  Light  of 
Light;  Very  God  of  Very  God;  begotten  not  made;  of  the  same 
substance  with  the  Father,  by  whom  all  things  were  made,  that 
are  in  heaven  and  that  are  in  earth:  who  for  us  men,  and  for  our 
salvation,  descended  and  was  incarnate,  and  became  man;  suf- 
fered and  rose  again  the  third  day,  ascended  into  the  heavens 
and  will  come  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead;  and  in  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  those  who  say  there  was  a  time  when  he  [the  Son] 
was  not,  and  that  he  was  not  before  he  was  begotten,  and  that 
he  was  made  out  of  nothing,  or  affirm  that  he  is  of  any  other 
substance  or  essence,  or  that  the  Son  of  God  was  created,  and 
mutable,  or  changeable,  the  Catholic  Church  doth  pronounce 
accursed." 

18.  This  is  the  generally  accepted  version  of  the  Nicene 
Creed  as  originally  promulgated.  In  form  it  was  somewhat 
modified  though  left  practically  unchanged  as  to  essentials,  by 
the  council  held  at  Constantinople  half  a  century  later.  What  i-°. 
regarded  as  a  restatement  of  the  Nicene  Creed  has  been  attrib- 
uted to  Athanasius,  one  of  the  chief  opponents  of  Arianism, 
though  his  rights  to  be  considered  the  author  is  questioned  by 
many  and  emphatically  denied  by  some  authorities  on  ecclesias- 
tical history.  Nevertheless,  the  statement  referred  to  has  found  a 
place  in  literature  as  the  "Creed  of  Athanasius,"  and  whether 
rightly  or  wrongly  named  it  persists  as  a  declaration  of  belief 
professed  by  some  Christian  sects  today.  It  has  a  present  place 
in  the  prescribed  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  "Creed  of 
Athanasius"  reads  as  follows: 

19.  "We  worship  one  God  in  Trinity,  and  Trinity  in  Unity, 
neither  confounding  the  persons,  nor  dividing  the  substance.  For 
there  is  one  person  of  the  Father,  another  of  the  Son,  and  an- 
other of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  the  Godhead  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  is  all  one:  the  glory  equal,  the  majesty  co- 
eternal.  Such  as  the  Father  is,  such  is  the  Son;  and  such  is  the 


78 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


may  be  said  to  trouble  the  minds  of  men  even  in  this  modern 

age. 

14.  It  is  wholly  beyond  our  purpose  to  classify  or  describe 
the  hybrid  offspring  resulting  from  the  unnatural  union  of 
pagan  philosophy  and  Christian  truth;  nor  shall  we  attempt  to 
follow  in  detail  the  dissensions  and  quarrels  on  theological 
points  and  questions  of  doctrine.  Our  purpose  is  achieved  when 
by  statement  of  facts  and  citation  of  authority,  the  reality  of  the 
apostasy  is  established.  We  shall  consider  therefore  only  the 
most  important  of  the  dissensions  by  which  the  Church  was 
troubled.— (See  Note  4,  end  of  chapter.) 

15.  About  the  middle  of  the  third  century,  Sibellius,  a  pres- 
byter or  bishop  of  the  church  in  Africa,  strongly  advocated  the 
doctrine  of  "trinity  in  unity"  as  characterizing  the  Godhead.  He 
claimed  that  the  divine  nature  of  Christ  was  no  distinct  nor  per- 
sonal attribute  of  the  man  Jesus,  but  merely  a  portion  of  the 
divine  energy,  an  emanation  from  the  Father,  with  which  the 
Son  was  temporarily  endowed;  and  that  in  like  manner  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  a  part  of  the  divine  Father.  These  views  were  as 
vigorously  opposed  by  some  as  defended  by  others,  and  the  dis- 
agreement was  rife  when  Constantine  so  suddenly  changed  the 
status  of  the  Church,  and  brought  to  its  support  the  power  of 
the  state.  Early  in  the  fourth  century  the  dispute  assumed  a 
threatening  aspect  in  a  bitter  contention  between  Alexander, 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  Arius,  one  of  the  subordinate  officers 
of  the  same  church.  Alexander  proclaimed  that  the  Son  was  in 
all  respects  the  equal  of  the  Father,  and  also  of  the  same  sub- 
stance or  essence.  Arius  insisted  that  the  Son  had  been  created 
by  the  Father,  and  therefore  could  not  be  co-eternal  with  His 
divine  Parent;  that  the  Son  was  the  agent  through  whom  the  will 
of  the  Father  was  executed,  and  that  for  this  reason  also  the 
Son  was  inferior  to  the  Father  both  in  nature  and  dignity.  In 
like  manner  the  Holy  Ghost  was  inferior  to  the  other  members 
of  the  Godhead. 

16.  Arianism,  as  the  doctrine  came  to  be  known,  was 
preached  with  vigor  and  denounced  with  energy;  and  the  dis- 
sension thus  occasioned  threatened  to  rend  the  Chuch  to  its 
foundation.  At  least  the  emperor,  Constantine,  was  forced  to  in- 
tervene in  an  effort  to  establish  peace  among  his  contending 
churchmen.  He  summoned  a  council  of  church  dignitaries 
which  assembled  in  the  year  325,  and  which  is  known  from  its 


THE  NICENE  CREED 


79 


place  of  session  as  the  Council  of  Nice.  This  council  condemned 
the  doctrine  of  Arius,  and  pronounced  sentence  of  banishment 
against  its  author.  What  was  declared  to  be  the  orthodox  doc- 
trine of  the  universal  or  Catholic  church  respecting  the  God- 
head was  promulgated  as  follows: 

17.  "We  believe  in  one  God,  the  Father,  Almighty,  the 
maker  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible;  and  in  one  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  begotten  of  the  Father,  only  begotten, 
(that  is)  of  the  substance  of  the  Father;  God  of  God,  Light  of 
Light;  Very  God  of  Very  God;  begotten  not  made;  of  the  same 
substance  with  the  Father,  by  whom  all  things  were  made,  that 
are  in  heaven  and  that  are  in  earth:  who  for  us  men,  and  for  our 
salvation,  descended  and  was  incarnate,  and  became  man;  suf- 
fered and  rose  again  the  third  day,  ascended  into  the  heavens 
and  will  come  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead;  and  in  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  those  who  say  there  was  a  time  when  he  [the  Son] 
was  not,  and  that  he  was  not  before  he  was  begotten,  and  that 
he  was  made  out  of  nothing,  or  affirm  that  he  is  of  any  other 
substance  or  essence,  or  that  the  Son  of  God  was  created,  and 
mutable,  or  changeable,  the  Catholic  Church  doth  pronounce 
accursed." 

18.  This  is  the  generally  accepted  version  of  the  Nicene 
Creed  as  originally  promulgated.  In  form  it  was  somewhat 
modified  though  left  practically  unchanged  as  to  essentials,  by 
the  council  held  at  Constantinople  half  a  century  later.  What  i.". 
regarded  as  a  restatement  of  the  Nicene  Creed  has  been  attrib- 
uted to  Athanasius,  one  of  the  chief  opponents  of  Arianism, 
though  his  rights  to  be  considered  the  author  is  questioned  by 
many  and  emphatically  denied  by  some  authorities  on  ecclesias- 
tical history.  Nevertheless,  the  statement  referred  to  has  found  a 
place  in  literature  as  the  "Creed  of  Athanasius,"  and  whether 
rightly  or  wrongly  named  it  persists  as  a  declaration  of  belief 
professed  by  some  Christian  sects  today.  It  has  a  present  place 
in  the  prescribed  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  "Creed  of 
Athanasius"  reads  as  follows: 

19.  "We  worship  one  God  in  Trinity,  and  Trinity  in  Unity, 
neither  confounding  the  persons,  nor  dividing  the  substance.  For 
there  is  one  person  of  the  Father,  another  of  the  Son,  and  an- 
other of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  the  Godhead  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  is  all  one:  the  glory  equal,  the  majesty  co- 
eternal.  Such  as  the  Father  is,  such  is  the  Son;  and  such  is  the 


80 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


Holy  Ghost.  The  Father  uncreate,  the  Son  uncreate  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  uncreate.  The  Father  incomprehensible,  the  Son  in- 
comprehensible and  the  Holy  Ghost  incomprehensible.  The 
Father  eternal,  the  Son  eternal,  the  Holy  Ghost  eternal.  And 
yet  there  are  not  three  eternals;  but  one  eternal.  As  also  there 
are  not  three  incomprehensibles,  nor  three  uncreated;  but  one 
uncreated,  and  one  incomprehensible.  So  likewise  the  Father 
is  Almighty,  the  Son  Almighty,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  Almighty; 
and  yet  there  are  not  three  Almighties,  but  one  Almighty.  So  the 
Father  is  God,  the  Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God,  and 
yet  they  are  not  three  Gods  but  one  God." 

20.  The  Council  of  Nice  is  known  in  ecclesiastical  history  as 
one  of  the  most  famous  and  most  important  gatherings  ever 
assembled  as  an  official  body  concerned  with  church  adminis- 
tration. Not  only  was  the  Arian  dispute  disposed  of,  so  far  as 
ecclesiastical  decree  could  dispose  of  a  question  vitally  affect- 
ing the  individual  conscience,  but  many  other  subjects  of  contro- 
versy were  similarly  quieted  for  the  time.  Thus  the  long-stand- 
ing dispute  as  to  the  time  of  celebrating  Easter  was  settled  by 
vote,  as  was  also  the  question  agitated  by  Novatus  and  his  fol- 
lowers—as to  the  propriety  of  readmitting  repentant  apostates  to 
the  Church;  and  the  schism  caused  by  Meletius,  a  bishop  of 
Upper  Africa,  who  had  refused  to  recognize  the  superior  author- 
ity of  the  bishop  of  Alexandria.  From  the  number  and  diversity 
of  the  questions  brought  before  the  Nicene  Council  for  adjudi- 
cation, we  may  safely  conclude  that  the  newly  enthroned 
Church  was  not  characterized  by  unity  of  purpose  nor  harmony 
of  action.  However,  compared  with  the  bitter  contentions  that 
follow,  the  dissensions  in  the  reign  of  Constantine  were  but  as 
the  beginnings  of  trouble. 

21.  The  moral  effect  of  the  potent  spirit  of  apostasy  operat- 
ing through  the  first  three  centuries  of  the  Church's  existence 
and  nourished  by  the  contributions  of  heathen  philosophy, 
proved,  as  was  inevitable,  highly  injurious  and  evil.  Some  of  the 
most  pernicious  of  these  effects  it  becomes  our  duty  to  consider. 

22.  Perverted  Views  of  Life.  One  of  the  heresies  of  early 
origin  and  rapid  growth  in  the  Church  was  the  doctrine  of  an- 
tagonism between  body  and  spirit,  whereby  the  former  was  re- 
garded as  an  incubus  and  a  curse.  From  what  has  been  said  this 
will  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  perversions  derived  from  the 
alliance  of  Gnosticism  with  Christianity.  A  result  of  this  grafting 


THE  NICENE  CREED 


81 


in  of  heathen  doctrines  was  an  abundant  growth  of  hermit 
practices,  by  which  men  sought  to  weaken,  torture,  and  subdue 
their  bodies,  that  their  spirits  or  "souls"  might  gain  greater  free- 
dom. Many  who  adopted  this  unnatural  view  of  human  exist- 
ence retired  to  the  solitude  of  the  desert,  and  there  spent  their 
time  in  practices  of  stern  self-denial  and  in  acts  of  frenzied  self- 
torture.  Others  shut  themselves  up  as  voluntary  prisoners,  seek- 
ing glory  in  privation  and  self-imposed  penance.  It  was  this  un- 
natural view  of  life  that  gave  rise  to  the  several  orders  of  re- 
cluses, hermits  and  monks. 

23.  Think  you  not  that  the  Savior  had  such  practices  in 
mind,  when,  warning  the  disciples  of  the  false  claims  to  sanctity 
that  would  characterize  the  times  then  soon  to  follow,  He  said: 
"Wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto  you,  Behold  he  (Christ)  is  in 
the  desert;  go  not  forth;  behold,  he  is  in  the  secret  chambers; 
believe  it  not."-(Matt.  24:26.) 

24.  When  the  Church  came  into  the  favor  of  the  state  under 
Constantine  in  the  fourth  century,  there  sprang  up  many  orders 
of  recluses  who  "maintained  that  communion  with  God  was  to 
be  sought  by  mortifying  sense,  by  withdrawing  the  mind  from 
all  external  objects,  by  macerating  the  body  with  hunger  and  la- 
bor, and  by  a  holy  sort  of  indolence,  which  confined  all  the  activ- 
ity of  the  soul  to  a  lazy  contemplation  of  things  spiritual  and  ex- 
ternal." Mosheim,  the  author  just  quoted,  continues:  "The  Chris- 
tian church  would  never  have  been  disgraced  by  this  cruel  and 
unsocial  enthusiasm,  nor  would  any  have  been  subjected  to 
those  keen  torments  of  mind  and  body  to  which  it  gave  rise,  had 
not  many  Christians  been  unwarily  caught  by  the  specious  ap- 
pearance and  the  pompous  sound  of  that  maxim  of  the  ancient 
philosophy:  'That  in  order  to  the  attainment  of  true  felicity  and 
communion  with  God,  it  was  necessary  that  the  soul  should  be 
separated  from  the  body,  even  here  below;  and  that  the  body 
was  to  be  macerated  and  mortified  for  this  purpose.'  "—(Mos- 
heim. "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  IV,  Part  II,  ch.  3:12,  13.) 

25.  The  fruit  of  this  ill-sowing  was  the  growth  of  numerous 
orders  of  monks,  and  the  maintenance  of  monastaries.  Celibacy 
was  taught  as  a  virtue,  and  came  to  be  made  a  requirement  of 
the  clergy,  as  it  is  in  the  Roman  Catholic  church  to-day.  An 
unmarried  clergy,  deprived  of  the  elevating  influences  of  home 
life,  fell  into  many  excesses,  and  the  corruption  of  the  priests  has 
been  a  theme  of  reproach  throughout  the  centuries.  "The  Lord 


82 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


God  said,  It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be  alone:  I  will 
make  him  an  help  meet  for  him,"— (Gen.  2:18.)  and  again, 
"Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  his  mother,  and 
shall  cleave  unto  his  wife:  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh."— (Verse 
24.)  His  inspired  apostle  proclaimed:  "Neither  is  the  man  with- 
out the  woman,  neither  the  woman  without  the  man,  in  the 
Lord."— (I  Cor.  11:11.  Compare  I  Tim.  4:3.)  Nevertheless  an 
apostate  church  decrees  that  its  ministers  shall  be  forbidden  to 
follow  the  law  of  God. 

26.  Disregard  for  Truth.  As  early  as  the  fourth  century, 
certain  pernicious  doctrines  embodying  a  disregard  for  truth 
gained  currency  in  the  Church.  Thus,  it  was  taught  "that  it  was 
an  act  of  virtue  to  deceive  and  lie,  when  by  that  means  the  in- 
terests of  the  church  might  be  promoted."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl. 
Hist,"  Cent.  IV.,  Part  II,  ch.  3:16.)  Needless  to  say,  sins  other 
than  those  of  falsehood  and  deceit  were  justified  when  commit- 
ted in  the  supposed  interests  of  church  advancement,  and  crime 
was  condoned  under  the  specious  excuse  that  the  end  justifies 
the  means.  Many  of  the  fables  and  fictitious  stories  relating  to 
the  lives  of  Christ  and  the  apostles,  as  also  the  spurious  accounts 
of  supernatural  visitations  and  wonderful  miracles,  in  which  the 
literature  of  the  early  centuries  abound,  are  traceable  to  this  in- 
famous doctrine  that  lies  are  acceptable  unto  God  if  perpetrated 
in  a  cause  that  man  calls  good.— (See  Note  5,  end  of  chapter.) 

NOTES 

1.  The  Nicolaitanes.  This  sect  is  mentioned  specifically  in  the  di- 
vine communication  wherein  John  the  Revelator  was  instructed  to  write 
to  the  churches  of  Asia  (Rev.  2:6,  15);  and  the  reference  proves  the  ab- 
horrence with  which  the  Lord  regarded  the  teachings  and  practices  of  the 
cult.  The  attempt  to  corrupt  Christianity  by  the  introduction  of  Nicolaitan 
ceremonies  was  a  real  danger  threatening  the  Church.  The  following  ex- 
tract from  Smith's  Rible  Dictionary  is  instructive: 

"The  sect  itself  comes  before  us  as  presenting  the  ultimate  phase  of 
a  great  controversy,  which  threatened  at  one  time  to  destroy  the  unity  of 
the  Church,  and  afterward  to  taint  its  purity.  The  controversy  itself  was 
inevitable  as  soon  as  the  Gentiles  were  admitted  in  any  large  numbers 
into  the  Church  of  Christ.  Were  the  new  converts  to  be  brought  into  sub- 
jugation to  the  whole  Mosaic  law?  The  apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem 
met  the  question  calmly  and  wisely.  The  burden  of  the  Law  was  not  to  be 
imposed  on  the  Gentile  disciples.  They  were  to  abstain,  among  other 
things,  from  'meats  offered  to  idols,'  and  from  'fornication'  (Acts  15:20, 
29),  and  this  decree  was  welcomed  as  the  great  charter  of  the  Church's 
freedom.  Strange  as  the  close  union  of  the  moral  and  positive  commands 
may  seem  to  us,  it  did  not"  seem  so  to  the  synod  at  Jerusalem.  The  two  sins 


NOTES 


83 


were  very  closely  allied,  often  even  in  the  closest  proximity  of  time  and 
place.  The  messages  to  the  churches  of  Asia,  and  the  later  Apostolic 
Epistles  ( II  Peter,  and  Jude)  indicate  that  the  two  evils  appeared  at  that 
period  also  in  close  alliance.  The  teachers  of  the  Church  branded  them 
with  a  name  that  expressed  their  true  character.  The  men  who  did  and 
taught  such  tilings  were  followers  of  Balaam  (II  Peter  2:15;  Jude  11.) 
They,  like  the  false  prophet  of  Pethor,  united  brave  words  with  evil  deeds. 
In  a  time  of  persecution,  when  the  eating  or  not  eating  of  things  sacrificed 
to  idols  was  more  than  ever  a  crucial  test  of  faithfulness,  they  persuaded 
men  more  than  ever  that  it  was  a  thing  indifferent  (Rev.  2:13,  14).  This 
was  bad  enough,  but  there  was  a  yet  worse  evil.  Mingling  themselves  in 
the  orgies  of  idolatrous  feasts,  they  brought  the  impurities  of  those  feasts 
into  the  meetings  of  the  Christian  Church.  And  all  this  was  done,  it  must 
be  remembered,  not  simply  as  an  indulgence  of  appetite,  but  as  part  of  a 
system  supported  by  a  'doctrine,'  accompanied  by  the  boast  of  a  prophetic 
illumination  (II  Peter  2:1)." 

2.  Imitation  of  Heathen  Mysteries,  and  the  Result.  The  worship  of 
God  by  the  early  Christians  was  decried  and  ridiculed  because  of  its  sim- 
plicity and  the  absence  of  mystic  ceremonies.  True,  the  zeal  of  persecutors 
soon  made  necessary  a  prudent  secrecy  in  religious  service  and  worship- 
ping assemblies,  but,  aside  from  such  necessity,  there  was  a  voluntary 
effort  to  feign  a  secrecy  that  was  uncalled  for.  On  tins  point  Gibbon  re- 
marks as  follows:  "The  precautions  with  which  the  disciples  of  Christ 
performed  the  offices  of  religion  were  at  first  dictated  by  fear  and  neces- 
sity; but  they  were  continued  from  choice.  By  imitating  the  awful  secrecy 
of  the  Eleusinian  mysteries,  the  Christians  had  flattered  themselves  that 
they  should  render  their  sacred  institutions  more  respectable  in  the  eyes 
of  the  pagan  world.  But  the  event,  as  it  often  happens  to  the  operations 
of  subtle  policy,  deceived  their  wishes  and  their  expectations.  It  was  con- 
cluded that  they  only  concealed  what  they  would  have  blushed  to  disclose. 
Their  mistaken  prudence  afforded  an  opportunity  for  malice  to  invent,  and 
for  suspicious  credulity  to  believe,  the  horrid  tales  which  described  the 
Christians  as  the  most  wicked  of  human  kind,  who  practiced  in  their  dark 
recesses  every  abomination  that  a  depraved  fancy  could  suggest,  and  who 
solicited  the  favor  of  their  unknown  God  by  the  sacrifice  of  every  moral 
virtue.  There  were  many  who  pretended  to  confess  or  to  relate  the  cere- 
monies of  this  abhorred  society."  (Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Ro- 
man Empire,"  chap.  XVI.) 

3.  Ebionites  and  Gnostics.  "Beside  the  general  design  of  fixing  on 
a  perpetual  basis  the  divine  honors  of  Christ,  the  most  ancient  and  re- 
spectable of  the  ecclesiastical  writers  have  ascribed  to  the  evangelic  theo- 
logian [St.  John]  a  particular  intention  to  confute  two  opposing  heresies, 
which  disturbed  the  peace  of  the  primitive  Church.  I.  The  faith  of  the  Eb- 
ionites, perhaps  of  the  Nazarenes,  was  gross  and  imperfect.  They  revered 
Jesus  as  the  greatest  of  the  prophets,  endowed  with  supernatural  virtue 
and  power.  They  ascribed  to  His  person  and  to  His  future  reign  all  the 
predictions  of  the  Hebrew  oracles  which  relate  to  the  spiritual  and  ever- 
lasting kingdom  of  the  promised  Messiah.  Some  of  them  might  confess  that 
He  was  born  of  a  virgin;  but  they  obstinately  rejected  the  preceding  exist- 
ence and  divine  perfections  of  the  Logos,  or  Son  of  God,  which  are  so 
clearly  defined  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John.  "MI.  The  Gnostics,  who 
were  distinguished  by  the  epithet  of  Docetes,  deviated  into  the  contrary 


CHAPTER  Vlll. 


Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

1.  As  one  of  the  effective  causes  leading  to  the  apostasy  of 
the  Primitive  Church,  we  have  specified:  Unauthorized  addi- 
tions to  the  ceremonies  of  the  Church,  and  the  introduction  oj 
vital  changes  in  essential  ordinances. 

2.  The  ridicule  heaped  upon  the  early  Church  by  the 
pagans  on  account  of  the  simplicity  of  Christian  worship  has 
already  received  mention.  This  cause  of  reproach  was  none  the 
less  emphasized  by  Judaistic  critics,  to  whom  rituals  and  cere- 
mony, formalism  and  prescribed  rites,  figured  as  essentials  of 
religion.  Very  early  in  its  history,  the  Church  manifested  a  ten- 
dency to  supplant  the  pristine  simplicity  of  its  worship  by 
elaborate  ceremonies,  patterned  after  Judaistic  ritual  and 
heathen  idolatries. 

3.  As  to  such  innovations,  Mosheim  writes  as  follows,  with 
reference  to  conditions  existing  in  the  second  century:  "There  is 
no  institution  so  pure  and  excellent  which  the  corruption  and 
folly  of  man  will  not  in  time  alter  for  the  worse,  and  load  with 
additions  foreign  to  its  nature  and  original  design.  Such  in  a 
particular  manner  was  the  fate  of  Christianity.  In  this  century 
many  unnecessary  rites  and  ceremonies  were  added  to  the 
Christian  worship,  the  introduction  of  which  was  extremely 
offensive  to  wise  and  good  men.  These  changes,  while  they  de- 
stroyed the  beautiful  simplicity  of  the  gospel,  were  naturally 
pleasing  to  the  gross  multitudes,  who  are  more  delighted  with 
the  pomp  and  splendor  of  external  institutions  than  with  the 
native  charms  of  rational  and  solid  piety,  and  who  generally 
give  little  attention  to  any  objects  but  those  which  strike  their 
outward  senses."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  II,  Part  II, 
ch.  4.)  The  author  just  cited  explains  that  the  bishops  of  that 
day  increased  the  ceremonies  and  sought  to  give  them  splendor 
"by  way  of  accommodation  to  the  infirmities  and  prejudices  of 
both  Jews  and  heathen."— (See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.) 

4.  To  more  effectually  reconcile  the  gospel  requirements 
with  Jewish  prejudice,  which  still  clung  to  the  letter  of  the  Mo- 
saic law,  the  officers  of  the  Church  in  the  first  and  second  centu- 


INTERNAL  CAUSES 


87 


ries  took  to  themselves  the  ancient  titles;  thus,  bishops  styled 
themselves  chief  priests,  and  deacons,  Levites.  "In  like  manner," 
says  Mosheim,  "the  comparison  of  the  Christian  oblation  with 
the  Jewish  victim  and  sacrifice,  produced  a  multitude  of  unnec- 
essary rites,  and  was  the  occasion  of  introducing  that  erroneous 
notion  of  the  eucharist,  which  represents  it  as  a  real  sacrifice, 
and  not  merely  a  commemoration  of  that  great  offering  that  was 
once  made  upon  the  cross  for  the  sins  of  mortals."— (Mosheim. 
"Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  II,  Part  II,  ch.  4:4.) 

5.  In  the  fourth  century  we  find  the  Church  still  more  hope- 
lessly committed  to  formalism  and  superstition.  The  decent 
respect  with  which  the  remains  of  the  early  martyrs  had  been 
honored  degenerated  or  grew  into  a  superstitious  reverence 
amounting  to  worship.  This  practice  was  allowed  in  deference 
to  the  heathen  adoration  paid  to  deified  heroes.  Pilgrimages  to 
the  tombs  of  martyrs  became  common  as  an  outward  form  of 
religious  devotion;  and  the  ashes  of  martyrs  as  well  as  dust  and 
earth  brought  from  places  said  to  have  been  made  holy  by  some 
uncommon  occurrence  were  sold  as  sovereign  remedies  against 
disease  and  as  means  of  protection  against  the  assaults  of  malig- 
nant spirits. 

6.  The  form  of  public  worship  was  so  changed  during  the 
second  and  third  centuries  as  to  bear  little  resemblance  to  the 
simplicity  and  earnestness  of  that  of  the  early  congregations. 
Philosophic  discourses  took  the  place  of  fervent  testimony  bear- 
ing, and  the  arts  of  the  rhetorician  and  controversial  debator  sup- 
planted the  true  eloquence  of  religious  conviction.  Applause 
was  allowed  and  expected  as  evidence  of  the  preacher's  popu- 
larity. The  burning  of  incense,  at  first  abhorred  by  Christian  as- 
semblies because  of  its  pagan  origin  and  heathen  significance, 
had  become  common  in  the  Church  before  the  end  of  the  third 
century. 

7.  In  the  fourth  century  the  adoration  of  images,  pictures, 
and  effigies,  had  been  given  a  place  in  the  so-called  Christian 
worship;  and  the  practice  became  general  in  the  century  follow- 
ing. An  effort  to  check  the  abuses  arising  from  this  idolatrous 
practice  in  the  eighth  century,  actually  led  to  civil  war.— (See 
Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  VIII,  Part  II,  ch.  3:9,  10.) 

8.  In  considering  such  evidences  of  pagan  ceremonial  and 
superstitious  rites  taking  the  place  of  the  simple  procedure  inci- 


88 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


dent  to  genuine  worship  characteristic  of  the  Church  in  the  days 
of  its  integrity,  who  can  question  the  solemn  and  awful  fact  of 
actual  apostasy?— (See  Note  2,  end  of  chapter.)  But  more  im- 
portant yet,  more  significant  still  than  mere  additions  to  the 
ritualistic  ceremonial,  are  the  perversions  and  changes  intro- 
duced into  the  most  sacred  and  essential  ordinances  of  Christ's 
Church.  As  it  is  common  with  ecclesiastical  authorities  to  con- 
sider the  most  essential  ordinances  of  the  gospel  originally  es- 
tablished by  Christ  and  maintained  by  His  apostles,  as  compris- 
ing baptism  and  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  we  shall 
examine  into  these  alone  as  examples  of  the  unauthorized  alter- 
ations now  under  consideration.  In  this  restriction  of  our  illustra- 
tive examples  we  do  not  admit  that  baptism  and  the  sacrament 
named  were  the  only  ordinances  characterizing  the  Church;  in- 
deed, there  is  abundant  proof  to  the  contrary.  Thus,  the  authori- 
tative imposition  of  hands  for  the  bestowal  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
the  case  of  baptized  believers  was  equally  essential  with  bap- 
tism itself,-(See  Acts  8:5-8, 12,  14-17;  also  19:1-7;  see  also  2:38; 
Matt.  3:11;  and  Mark  1:8.)  and  was  assuredly  regarded  as  a  vital 
ordinance  from  the  first.— (See  Matt.  3:11.)  Furthermore,  ordi- 
nation in  the  priesthood,  whereby  men  were  commissioned  by 
divine  authority  was  indispensable  to  the  maintenance  of  an 
organized  Church.  The  examples  selected,  however,  will  be 
sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  our  present  inquiry. 

The  Ordinance  of  Baptism  Changed. 

9.  First,  then,  as  to  baptism,— in  what  did  the  ordinance 
originally  consist,  as  to  purpose  and  mode  of  administration,  and 
what  changes  did  it  undergo  in  the  course  of  progressive  apos- 
tasy through  which  the  Church  passed?  That  baptism  is  essen- 
tial to  salvation  calls  for  no  demonstration  here;  this  has  been 
generally  held  by  the  Christian  Church  in  both  ancient  and  mod- 
ern times.— (For  a  concise  treatment  of  this  subject,  see  the  auth- 
or's "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  6:8-29.)  The  purpose  of  baptism 
was  and  is  the  obtaining  of  a  remission  of  sins;  compliance  with 
the  requirement  has  been  from  the  first  the  sole  means  of  secur- 
ing admission  to  the  Church  of  Christ.— (See  Mark  1:4  and  Luke 
3:3;  also  Acts  2:38;  I  Peter  3:21;  and  Acts  22:16.  Compare  II 
Nephi  31:17.) 


BAPTISMAL  ORDINANCE  CHANGED 


89 


10.  In  the  early  Church,  baptism  was  administered  on  pro- 
fession of  faith  and  evidence  of  repentence,  and  was  performed 
by  immersion— (See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter)  at  the  hands  of  one 
invested  with  the  requisite  authority  of  priesthood.  There  was 
no  delay  in  administering  the  ordinance  after  the  eligibility  of 
the  candidate  had  been  shown.  As  instances  we  may  cite  the 
promptness  with  which  baptism  was  administered  to  the  believ- 
ers on  that  eventful  day  of  Pentecost;— (Acts  2:37-41)  the  bap- 
tism administered  by  Philip  to  the  Ethiopian  convert  immedi- 
ately following  due  profession  of  faith;— (Acts  8:26-39)  the  un- 
delayed  baptism  of  devout  Cornelius  and  his  family;— (Acts 
10:47,  48)  and  the  speedy  baptism  of  the  converted  jailer  by 
Paul,  his  prisoner.- (Acts  16:31-33.) 

11.  In  the  second  century,  however,  priestly  mandate  had 
restricted  the  baptismal  ordinance  to  the  times  of  the  two 
Church  festivals,  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  the  first  being  the 
anniversary  of  Christ's  resurrection,  and  the  second  the  time 
of  Pentecostal  celebration.  A  long  and  tedious  course  of  prepa- 
ration was  required  of  the  candidate  before  his  eligibility  was 
admitted;  during  this  time  he  was  known  as  a  catechumen,  or 
novice  in  training.  According  to  some  authorities  a  three  year's 
course  of  preparation  was  required  in  all  but  exceptional  cases. 
-(Schlegel,  Book  VIII,  ch.  32.) 

12.  During  the  second  century  the  baptismal  symbolism  of 
a  new  birth  was  emphasized  by  many  additions  to  the  ordinance; 
thus  the  newly  baptized  were  treated  as  infants  and  were  fed 
milk  and  honey  in  token  of  their  immaturity.  As  baptism  was 
construed  to  be  a  ceremony  of  liberation  from  the  slavery  of 
Satan,  certain  formulas  used  in  the  freeing  of  slaves  were  added. 
Anointing  with  oil  was  also  made  a  part  of  the  ceremony.  In  the 
third  century  the  simple  ordinance  of  baptism  was  further  in- 
cumbered and  perverted  by  the  ministrations  of  an  exorcist. 
This  official  indulged  in  "menacing  and  formidable  shouts  and 
declamation"  whereby  the  demons  or  evil  spirits  with  which  the 
candidate  was  supposed  to  be  afflicted  were  to  be  driven  away. 
"The  driving  out  of  this  demon  was  now  considered  as  an  essen- 
tial preparation  for  baptism,  after  the  administration  of  which 
the  candidates  returned  home,  adorned  with  crowns,  and  ar- 
rayed in  white  garments,  as  sacred  emblems,— the  former  of 
their  victory  over  sin  and  the  world;  the  latter  of  their  inward 


90 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


purity  and  innocence."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  Ill,  part 
II,  ch.  4:4.)  It  is  not  difficult  to  see  in  this  superstitious  ceremony 
the  evidence  of  pagan  adulteration  of  the  Christian  religion.  In 
the  fourth  century  it  became  the  practice  to  place  salt  in  the 
mouth  of  the  newly  baptized  member,  as  a  symbol  of  purifica- 
tion, and  the  actual  baptism  was  both  preceded  and  followed  by 
an  anointing  with  oil. 

13.  The  form  or  mode  of  baptism  also  underwent  a  radical 
change  during  the  first  half  of  the  third  century,— a  change 
whereby  its  essential  symbolism  was  destroyed.  Immersion,— 
(See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter)  typifying  death  followed  by  resur- 
rection, was  no  longer  deemed  an  essential  feature,  and  sprin- 
kling with  water  was  allowed  in  place  thereof.  No  less  an  au- 
thority than  Cyprian,  the  learned  bishop  of  Carthage,  advo- 
cated the  propriety  of  sprinkling  in  lieu  of  immersion  in  cases 
of  physical  weakness;  and  the  practice  thus  started,  later  be- 
came general.  The  first  instance  of  record  is  that  of  Novatus,  a 
heretic  who  requested  baptism  when  he  thought  death  was 
near.— (As  to  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  baptism,  the  mode  of 
its  administration  and  the  symbolism  thereof,  see  the  author's 
"Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  7.) 

14.  Not  only  was  the  form  of  the  baptismal  rite  radically 
changed,  but  the  application  of  the  ordinance  was  perverted. 
The  practice  of  administering  baptism  to  infants  was  recognized 
as  orthodox  in  the  third  century,  and  was  doubtless  of  earlier 
origin.  In  a  prolonged  disputation  as  to  whether  it  was  safe  to 
postpone  the  baptism  of  infants  until  the  eighth  day  after  birth— 
in  deference  to  the  Jewish  custom  of  performing  circumcision 
on  that  day— it  was  gravely  decided  that  such  delay  would  be 
dangerous,  as  jeopardizing  the  future  well-being  of  the  child 
should  it  die  before  attaining  the  age  of  eight  days,  and  that 
baptism  ought  to  be  administered  as  soon  after  birth  as  possible. 
—(See  Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  Ill,  ch.  13.)  A  more 
infamous  doctrine  than  that  of  the  condemnation  of  unbaptized 
infants  can  scarcely  be  imagined,  and  a  stronger  proof  of  the 
heresies  that  had  invaded  and  corrupted  the  early  Church  need 
not  be  sought.  Such  a  doctrine  is  foreign  to  the  gospel  and  to 
the  Church  of  Christ,  and  its  adoption  as  an  essential  tenet  is 
proof  of  apostasy.— (For  a  discussion  of  infant  baptism,  see  the 
author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  6.  See  Note  4,  end  of 
chapter.) 


THE  SACRAMENT  PERVERTED 


91 


Changes  in  the  Ordinance  of  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

15.  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  has  been  regarded 
as  an  essential  ordinance  from  the  time  of  its  establishment  in 
the  Church  by  Jesus  Christ.  Yet  in  spite  of  its  sanctity  it  has 
undergone  radical  alteration  both  as  to  its  symbolism  and  its 
accepted  purpose.  The  sacrament,  as  instituted  by  the  Savior 
and  as  administered  during  the  days  of  the  apostolic  ministry, 
was  as  simple  as  it  was  sacred  and  solemn.  Accompanied  by  the 
true  spirit  of  the  gospel,  its  simplicity  was  sanctifying;  as  inter- 
preted by  the  spirit  of  apostasy  its  simplicity  became  a  reproach. 
Hence  we  find  that  in  the  third  century,  long  sacramental  pray- 
ers were  prescribed,  and  much  pomp  was  introduced.  Vessels  of 
gold  and  silver  were  used  by  such  congregations  as  could  afford 
them,  and  this  with  ostentatious  display.  Non-members  and 
members  "who  were  in  a  penitential  state"  were  excluded  from 
the  sacramental  service— in  imitation  of  the  exclusiveness  ac- 
companying heathen  mysteries.  Disputation  and  dissension 
arose  as  to  the  proper  time  of  administering  the  sacrament- 
morning,  noon,  or  evening;  and  as  to  the  frequency  with  which 
the  ordinance  should  be  celebrated.— (See  Note  5,  end  of  chap- 
ter.) 

16.  At  a  later  date  the  doctrine  of  Transubstantiation  was 
established  as  an  essential  tenet  of  the  Roman  Church.  This 
briefly  summarized,  is  to  the  effect  that  the  species— i.  e.,  the 
bread  and  wine  used  in  the  sacrament— lose  their  character  as 
mere  bread  and  wine,  and  become  in  fact  the  flesh  and  blood  of 
the  crucified  Christ.  The  transmutation  is  assumed  to  take  place 
in  such  a  mystical  way  as  to  delude  the  senses;  and  so,  though 
actual  flesh  and  actual  blood,  the  elements  still  appear  to  be 
bread  and  wine.  This  view,  so  strongly  defended  and  earnestly 
reverenced  by  orthodox  members  of  the  Roman  Church,  is 
vehemently  denounced  by  others,  as  "an  absurd  tenet."— (Mil- 
ner)  and  a  "monstrous  and  unnatural  doctrine."— (Mosheim.) 

17.  There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  origin  of  this 
doctrine,— (See  Note  6,  end  of  chapter.)  the  Roman  Catholics 
claiming  for  it  a  great  antiquity,  while  their  opponents  insist  that 
it  was  an  innovation  of  the  eighth  or  ninth  century.  According 
to  Milner  it  was  openly  taught  in  the  ninth  century;— (Milner, 
"Church  History,"  Cent.  IX,  ch.  1.)  was  formally  established  as 


92 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


a  dogma  of  the  Church  by  the  Council  of  Placentia  A.  D.  1095,- 
(The  same,  Cen.  XI,  ch.  1)  and  was  made  an  essential  article  of 
creed,  belief  in  which  was  required  of  all  by  action  of  the  Ro- 
man ecclesiastical  court  about  1160.— (The  same,  Cent.  XIII,  ch. 
1. )  An  official  edict  of  the  pope,  Innocent  III,  confirmed  the  dog- 
ma as  a  binding  tenet  and  requirement  of  the  Church  in  1215;- 
(Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  XIII,  Part  II,  ch.  3:2.)  and  it 
remains  practically  in  force  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to- 
day. The  doctrine  was  adopted  by  the  Greek  Church  in  the  sev- 
enteenth century.-(The  same,  Cent.  XVII,  Part  II,  ch.  2:3.) 

18.  The  consecrated  emblems,  or  "host,"  being  regarded  as 
the  actual  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ,  were  adored  as  of  them- 
selves divine.  Thus,  "a  very  pernicious  practice  of  idolatry  was 
connected  with  the  reception  of  this  doctrine.  Men  fell  down 
before  the  consecrated  host,  and  worshipped  it  as  God;  and  the 
novelty,  absurdity,  and  impiety  of  this  abomination  very  much 
struck  the  minds  of  all  men  who  were  not  dead  to  a  sense  of  true 
religion."-(Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  XIII,  ch.  1.)  The 
"elevation  of  the  host,"— i.  e.,  the  presentation  of  the  consecrated 
emblems  before  the  congregation  for  adoration,  is  a  feature 
of  the  present  day  ritual  of  worship  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  The  celebration  of  the  mass  is  taught  to  be  an  actual 
though  mystic  sacrifice,  in  which  the  Son  of  God  is  daily  of- 
fered up  anew  as  a  constantly  recurring  atonement  for  the 
present  sins  of  the  assembled  worshippers.  A  further  perversion 
of  the  sacrament  occurred  in  the  administration  of  bread  alone, 
instead  of  both  bread  and  wine  as  originally  required. 

19.  Thus  was  the  plain  purpose  and  assured  efficacy  of  the 
sacrament  hidden  beneath  a  cloud  of  mystery  and  ceremonial 
display.  Contrast  such  with  the  solemn  simplicity  of  the  ordi- 
nance as  instituted  by  our  Lord,— He  took  bread  and  wine, 
blessed  them  and  gave  to  His  disciples  and  said  ,"This  do  in 
remembrance  of  me."— (Luke  22:19,  20;  compare  Matt.  26:27, 
28.)  Of  the  bread  he  said,  "This  is  my  body;"  of  the  wine,  "This  is 
my  blood;"  yet  at  that  time  His  body  was  unpierced,  His  blood 
was  unshed.  The  disciples  ate  bread,  not  flesh  of  a  living  man, 
and  drank  wine,  not  blood;  and  this  they  were  commanded  to  do 
in  remembrance  of  Christ.— (For  a  general  treatment  of  the  Sac- 
rament of  the  Lord's  Supper,  see  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith," 
Lecture  9.)  The  perversion  of  the  sacrament  is  evidence  of  de- 
parture from  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  when  made 


NOTES 


93 


an  essential  dogma  of  a  church  is  proof  of  the  apostate  condition 
of  that  church. 

20.  Behold,"they  have  transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the 
ordinance,  broken  the  everlasting  covenant."— (See  Isaiah  24: 
4-6.) 

NOTES 

1.  Ceremonies  Added  as  a  Compromise.  "Both  Jews  and  heathens 
were  accustomed  to  a  vast  variety  of  pompous  and  magnificent  ceremonies 
in  their  religious  service.  And  as  they  consider  these  rites  as  an  essen- 
tial part  of  religion,  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should  behold  with  in- 
difference, and  even  with  contempt,  the  simplicity  of  the  Christian  wor- 
ship, which  was  destitute  of  those  idle  ceremonies  that  rendered  their 
service  so  specious  and  striking.  To  remove  then,  in  some  measure,  this 
prejudice  against  Christianity,  the  bishops  thought  it  necessary  to  increase 
the  number  of  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  thus  to  render  the  public  worship 
more  striking  to  the  outward  senses.  This  addition  of  external  rites  was 
also  designed  to  remove  the  opprobrious  calumnies  which  the  Jewish  and 
pagan  priests  cast  upon  the  Christians  on  account  of  the  simplicity  of 
their  worship,  esteeming  them  little  better  than  atheists,  because  they  had 
no  temples,  altars,  victims,  priests,  nor  anything  of  that  external  pomp  in 
which  the  vulgar  are  so  prone  to  place  the  essence  of  religion.  The  rulers 
of  the  Church  adopted,  therefore,  certain  external  ceremonies,  that  thus 
they  might  captivate  the  senses  of  the  vulgar,  and  be  able  to  refute  the 
reproaches  of  their  adversaries."  (Mosheim,  "Ecclesiastical  History," 
Cent.  II,  Part  II,  ch.  4:2,  3.) 

A  note  appended  to  the  foregoing  excerpt  by  the  translator,  Dr. 
Archibald  Maclaine,  reads  as  follows: 

"A  remarkable  passage  in  the  life  of  Gregory,  surnamed  Thaumatur- 
gus,  i.e.,  the  wonder  worker,  will  illustrate  this  point  in  the  clearest  man- 
ner. The  passage  is  as  follows:  'When  Gregory  perceived  that  the  ignorant 
multitude  persisted  in  their  idolatry,  on  account  of  the  pleasures  and 
sensual  gratifications  which  they  enjoyed  at  the  pagan  festivals,  he  granted 
them  a  permission  to  indulge  themselves  in  the  like  pleasures,  in  celebrat- 
ing the  memory  of  the  holy  martyrs,  hoping  that  in  process  of  time,  they 
would  return  of  their  own  accord  to  a  more  virtuous  and  regular  course 
of  life.'  There  is  no  sort  of  doubt,  but  that  by  this  permission,  Gregory 
allowed  the  Christians  to  dance,  sport  and  feast  at  the  tombs  of  the  mar- 
tyrs upon  their  respective  festivals,  and  to  do  everything  which  the  pagans 
were  accustomed  to  do  in  their  temples  during  the  feasts  celebrated  in 
honor  of  their  gods." 

The  Gregory  referred  to  in  the  note  last  quoted  flourished  about  the 
middle  of  the  third  century.  He  acquired  the  title  Thaumaturgus  from  his 
fame  as  a  worker  of  miracles,  the  genuineness  of  which  achievements  is 
disputed  by  many  authorities.  He  was  bishop  of  New  Caesarea,  and  a  man 
of  great  influence  in  the  Church.  His  sanction  of  ceremonies,  patterned 
after  pagan  rites,  was  doubtless  of  far  reaching  effect. 

2.  Church  Ceremonial  in  the  Firth  Century.  "The  sublime  and 
simple  theology  of  the  primitive  Christians  was  gradually  corrupted,  and 


94 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


the  Monarchy  of  heaven,  already  clouded  by  metaphysical  subtleties,  was 
degraded  by  the  introduction  of  a  popular  mythology,  which  tended  to 
restore  the  reign  of  polytheism.  As  the  objects  of  religion  were  gradually 
reduced  to  the  standard  of  the  imagination,  the  rites  and  ceremonies  were 
introduced  that  seemed  most  powerfully  to  affect  the  senses  of  the  vulgar. 
If,  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century,  Tertullian  or  Lactantius  had 
been  suddenly  raised  from  the  dead,  to  assist  at  the  festival  of  some  popu- 
lar saint  or  martyr,  they  would  have  gazed  with  astonishment  and  indigna- 
tion on  the  profane  spectacle,  which  had  succeeded  to  the  pure  and  spirit- 
ual worship  of  a  Christian  congregation.  As  soon  as  the  doors  of  the 
Church  were  thrown  open  they  must  have  been  offended  by  the  smoke  of 
incense,  the  perfume  of  flowers,  and  the  glare  of  lamps,  and  tapers,  which 
diffused,  at  noonday,  a  gaudy,  superfluous,  and,  in  their  opinion  a  sacrile- 
gious light.  If  they  approached  the  balustrade  of  the  altar,  they  made  their 
way  through  the  prostrate  crowd,  consisting  for  the  most  part,  of  strangers 
and  pilgrims,  who  resorted  to  the  city  on  the  vigil  of  the  feast;  and  who 
already  felt  the  strong  intoxication  of  fanaticism,  and  perhaps  of  wine. 
Their  devout  kisses  were  imprinted  on  the  walls  and  pavements  of  the 
sacred  edifice;  and  their  fervent  prayers  were  directed,  whatever  might  be 
the  language  of  their  church,  to  the  bones,  the  blood,  or  the  ashes  of  the 
saints,  which  were  usually  concealed  by  a  linen  or  silken  veil  from  the 
eyes  of  the  vulgar.  The  Christians  frequented  the  tombs  of  the  martyrs,  in 
the  hope  of  obtaining,  from  their  powerful  intercession,  every  sort  of  spir- 
itual, but  more  especially  of  temporal  blessings.  000  The  same  uniform 
original  spirit  of  superstition  might  suggest,  in  the  most  distant  ages  and 
countries,  the  same  methods  of  deceiving  the  credulity,  and  of  affecting 
the  services,  of  mankind;  but  it  must  ingeniously  be  confessed  that  the 
ministers  of  the  Catholic  Church  imitated  the  profane  model  which  they 
were  impatient  to  destroy.  The  most  respectable  bishops  had  persuaded 
themselves  that  the  ignorant  rustics  would  more  cheerfully  renounce  the 
superstitions  of  Paganism,  if  they  found  some  resemblance,  some  compen- 
sation, in  the  bosom  of  Christianity.  The  religion  of  Constantine  achieved, 
in  less  than  a  century,  the  final  conquest  of  the  Roman  empire;  but  the 
victors  themselves  were  insensibly  subdued  by  the  arts  of  their  vanquished 
rivals."  ( Gibbon,  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,"  ch.  XXVIII. ) 

3.  Early  Form  of  Christian  Baptism.  History  furnishes  ample  proof 
that  in  the  first  century  after  the  death  of  Christ,  baptism  was  administered 
solely  by  immersion.  Tertullian  thus  refers  to  the  immersion  ceremony 
common  in  his  day:  "There  is  no  difference  whether  one  is  washed  in  a 
sea  or  in  a  pool,  in  a  river  or  in  a  fountain,  in  a  lake  or  in  a  channel; 
nor  is  there  any  difference  between  those  whom  John  dipped  in  Jordan, 
and  those  whom  Peter  dipped  in  the  Tiber.  000  We  are  immersed  in  the 
water." 

Justin  Martyr  describes  the  ceremony  as  practiced  by  himself.  First 
describing  the  preparatory  examination  of  the  candidate,  he  proceeds: 
"After  that  they  are  led  by  us  to  where  there  is  water,  and  are  born  again 
in  that  kind  of  new  birth  by  which  we  ourselves  were  born  again.  For  in 
the  name  of  God,  the  Father  and  Lord  of  all,  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Savior,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  immersion  in  water  is  performed;  be- 
cause the  Christ  hath  also  said,  'Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' " 


NOTES 


95 


Bishop  Bennet  says  concerning  the  practices  of  the  early  Christians: 
"They  led  them  into  the  water  and  laid  them  down  in  the  water  as  a  man 
is  laid  in  a  grave;  and  then  they  said  those  words,  'I  baptize  (or  wash) 
thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost;  then  they  raised 
them  up  again,  and  clean  garments  were  put  on  them;  from  whence  came 
the  phrases  of  being  baptized  into  Christ's  death,  of  being  buried  with 
Him  by  baptism  into  death,  of  our  being  risen  with  Christ,  and  of  our 
putting  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  putting  off  the  old  man,  and  putting 
on  the  new." 

"That  the  apostles  immersed  whom  they  baptized  there  is  no  doubt. 
000  And  that  the  ancient  church  followed  their  example  is  very  clearly 
evidenced  by  innumerable  testimonies  of  the  fathers."  (Vossius. ) 

"Burying  as  it  were  the  person  baptized  in  the  water,  and  raising 
him  out  again,  without  question  was  anciently  the  more  usual  method." 
(Archbishop  Seeker.) 

"Immersion  was  the  usual  method  in  which  baptism  was  administered 
in  the  early  Church.  000  Immersion  was  undoubtedly  a  common  mode 
of  administering  baptism,  and  was  not  discontinued  when  infant  baptism 
prevailed.  000  Sprinkling  gradually  took  the  place  of  immersion  without 
any  formal  renunciation  of  the  latter."  (Canon  Farrer. ) 

4.  Historical  Notes  on  Infant  Baptism.  The  baptism  of  infants,  in 
the  first  two  centuries  after  Christ,  was  altogether  unknown.  000  The 
custom  of  baptizing  infants  did  not  begin  before  the  third  age  after  Christ 
was  born.  In  the  former  ages  no  trace  of  it  appears;  and  it  was  intro- 
duced without  the  command  of  Christ."  ( Curcullaeus. ) 

"It  is  certain  that  Christ  did  not  ordain  infant  baptism.  080  We 
cannot  prove  that  the  apostles  ordained  infant  baptism.  From  those  places 
where  baptism  of  a  whole  family  is  mentioned  (as  in  Acts  16:33;  I  Cor. 
1:16)  we  can  draw  no  such  conclusion,  because  the  inquiry  is  still  to  be 
made,  whether  there  were  any  children  in  the  families  of  such  age  that 
they  were  not  capable  of  any  intelligent  reception  of  Christianity;  for 
this  is  the  only  point  on  which  the  case  turns.  0  0  6  As  baptism  was 
closely  united  with  a  conscious  entrance  on  Christian  communion,  faith 
and  baptism  were  always  connected  with  one  another;  and  thus  it  is  in 
the  highest  degree  probable  that  baptism  was  performed  only  in  instances 
where  both  could  meet  together,  and  that  the  practice  of  infant  baptism 
was  unknown  at  this  ( the  apostolic  period. )  0  0  *  That  not  till  so  late  a 
period  as  (at  least  certainly  not  earlier  than)  Irenaeus,  a  trace  of  infant 
baptism  appears;  and  that  it  first  became  recognized  as  an  apostolic  tradi- 
tion in  the  course  of  the  third  century,  is  evidence  rather  against  than 
for  the  admission  of  its  apostolic  origin."  (Johann  Neander,  a  German 
theologian  who  flourished  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century. ) 

"Let  them  therefore  come  when  they  are  grown  up— when  they  can 
understand— when  they  are  taught  whither  they  are  to  come.  Let  them 
become  Christians  when  they  can  know  Christ."  (Tertullian,  one  of  the 
Latin  "Christian  Fathers";  he  lived  from  150  to  220  A.D.)  Tertullian's 
almost  violent  opposition  to  the  practice  of  pedo-baptism  is  cited  by 
Neander  as  "a  proof  that  it  was  then  not  usually  considered  an  apostolic 
ordinance;  for  in  that  case  he  would  hardly  have  ventured  to  speak  so 
strongly  against  it." 


96  THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 

Martin  Luther,  writing  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century 
declared:  "It  cannot  be  proven  by  the  sacred  scriptures  that  infant  bap- 
tism was  instituted  by  Christ,  or  begun  by  the  first  Christians  after  the 
apostles." 

"By  tekna  the  Apostle  understands,  not  infants,  but  posterity;  in 
which  significance  the  word  occurs  in  many  places  of  the  New  Testament 
(see  among  others  John  8:39);  whence  it  appears  that  the  argument 
which  is  very  commonly  taken  from  this  passage  for  the  baptism  of  infants, 
is  of  no  force,  and  good  for  nothing."  (Limborch,  a  native  of  Holland, 
and  a  theologian  of  repute;  he  lived  1633-1712. ) 

5.  Summary  of  Changes  in  the  Sacrament  as  an  Ordinance.  "Errors 
concerning  the  sacrament,  and  its  signification,  and  the  manner  of  ad- 
ministering it,  grew  rapidly  in  the  professed  Christian  churches  during 
the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian  era.  As  soon  as  the  power  of  the 
priesthood  had  departed,  much  disputation  arose  in  matters  of  ordinance, 
and  the  observance  of  the  sacrament  became  distorted.  Theological  teach- 
ers strove  to  foster  the  idea  that  there  was  much  mystery  attending  this 
naturally  simple  and  most  impressive  ordinance;  that  all  who  were  not  in 
full  communion  with  the  Church  should  be  excluded,  not  only  from  par- 
ticipation in  the  ordinance,  which  was  justifiable,  but  from  the  privilege 
of  witnessing  the  service,  lest  they  profane  the  mystic  rite  by  their  unhal- 
lowed presence.  Then  arose  the  heresy  of  transubstantiation,— which  held 
that  the  sacramental  emblems  by  the  ceremony  of  consecration  lost  their 
natural  character  of  simple  bread  and  wine,  and  become  in  reality  flesh 
and  blood,— actually  parts  of  the  crucified  body  of  Christ.  Arguments 
against  such  dogmas  is  useless.  Then  followed  the  veneration  of  the  em- 
blems by  the  people,  the  bread  and  wine— regarded  as  part  of  Christ's  tab- 
ernacle, being  elevated  in  the  mass  for  the  adoration  of  the  people;  and 
later,  the  custom  of  suppressing  half  of  the  sacrament  was  introduced.  By 
the  innovation  last  mentioned,  only  the  bread  was  administered,  the  dog- 
matic assertion  being  that  both  the  body  and  the  blood  were  represented 
in  some  mystical  way  in  one  of  the  "elements."  Certain  it  is,  that  Christ 
required  His  disciples  to  both  eat  and  drink  in  remembrance  of  Him." 
(The  Author,  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  9,  Note  4.) 

6.  As  to  the  Antiquity  of  the  Doctrine  of  Transubstantiation.  As 
stated  in  the  text,  the  date  of  origin  of  the  Catholic  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation has  been  debated.  The  following  summary  is  instructive.  "Prot- 
estants combating  the  Catholic  idea  of  the  real  presence  of  the  flesh  and 
blood  in  the  Eucharist— transubstantiation— have  endeavored  to  prove  that 
this  doctrine  was  not  of  earlier  origin  than  the  eighth  century.  In  this, 
however,  the  evidence  is  against  them.  Ignatius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  writ- 
ing early  in  the  second  century,  says  of  certain  supposed  heretics:  'They 
do  not  admit  of  eucharists  and  oblations,  because  they  do  not  believe  the 
eucharist  to  be  the  flesh  of  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  who  suffered  for  our 
sins.'  ( Epistle  of  Ignatius  to  the  Smyrneans. )  So  Justin  Martyr,  also  writ- 
ing in  the  first  half  of  the  second  century:  'We  do  not  receive  them  [the 
bread  and  the  wine]  as  ordinary  food  or  ordinary  drink  but  as  by  the 
word  of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior,  was  made  flesh  and  took  upon 
him  both  flesh  and  blood  for  our  salvation,  so  also  the  food  which  was 
blessed  by  the  prayer  of  the  word  which  proceeded  from  Him,  and  from 
which  our  flesh  and  blood,  by  transmutation,  receive  nourishment,  is,  we 


NOTES 


97 


are  taught,  both  the  flesh  and  blood  of  that  Jesus  who  was  made  flesh.' 
(Justin's  Apology  to  Emperor  Antoninus.)  After  Justin's  time  the  testi- 
mony of  the  fathers  is  abundant.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  antiquity 
of  the  idea  of  the  real  presence  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus  in  the 
eucharist;  but  that  proves— as  we  said  of  infant  baptism— not  that  the 
doctrine  is  true,  but  that  soon  after  the  apostles  had  passed  away,  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  gospel  was  corrupted  or  else  entirely  departed  from."  ( B.  H. 
Roberts,  "Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  p.  133. ) 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Internal  Causes.— Continued. 

1.  Among  the  controlling  causes  leading  to  the  general 
apostasy  of  the  Church,  we  have  specified  as  third  in  the  series: 
Unauthorized  changes  in  Church  organization  and  government. 

2.  A  comparison  between  the  plan  of  organization  on  which 
the  Primitive  Church  was  founded  and  the  ecclesiastical  system 
which  took  its  place  will  afford  valuable  evidence  as  to  the  true 
or  apostate  condition  of  the  modern  Church.  The  Primitive 
Church  was  officered  by  apostles,  pastors,  high  priests,  seven- 
ties, elders,  bishops,  priests,  teachers,  and  deacons.— (See  Luke 
6:13  and  Mark  3:14;  Eph.  4:11;  Heb.  5:5;  Luke  10:1;  Acts 
14:23;  15:6;  I  Peter  5:1;  I  Tim.  3:1;  Titus  1:7;  Rev.  1:6;  Acts  13:1; 
I  Tim.  3:8-12.)  We  have  no  evidence  that  the  presiding  council 
of  the  Church,  comprising  the  twelve  apostles,  was  continued 
beyond  the  earthly  ministry  of  those  who  had  been  ordained  to 
that  holy  calling  during  the  life  of  Christ  or  soon  after  His 
ascension.  Nor  is  there  record  of  any  ordination  of  individuals 
to  the  apostleship,  irrespective  of  membership  in  the  council  of 
twelve,  beyond  those  whose  calling  and  ministry  are  chronicled 
in  the  New  Testament,  which,  as  a  historical  record,  ends  with 
the  first  century. 

3.  Ecclesiastical  history  other  tiian  the  holy  scriptures  in- 
forms us,  however,  that  wherever  a  branch,  or  church,  was  or- 
ganized, a  bishop  or  an  elder  (presbyter)  was  placed  in  charge. 
There  is  no  doubt  diat  while  the  aposdes  lived,  they  were  recog- 
nized and  respected  as  the  presiding  authorities  of  the  Church. 
As  they  established  branches  or  churches,  they  selected  the  bish- 
ops, and  submitted  their  nominations  to  the  vote  of  the  mem- 
bers. As  already  stated,  the  principle  of  self-government,  or 
common  consent,  was  respected  in  apostolic  days  with  a  care 
amounting  to  sacred  duty.  We  read  that  the  bishops  were  assist- 
ed in  their  local  administrations  by  presbyters  and  deacons. 

4.  After  the  aposdes  had  gone,  bishops  and  other  officers 
were  nominated  by,  or  at  the  instance  of,  the  existing  authorities. 
The  affairs  of  the  church  or  branch  were  conducted  and  regu- 
lated by  the  local  officers,  so  that  a  marked  equality  existed 


THE  BISHOPS  OF  ROME 


99 


among  the  several  churches,  none  exercising  or  claiming 
supremacy  except  as  to  the  deference  voluntarily  paid  to  those 
churches  that  had  been  organized  by  the  personal  ministry  of 
the  apostles.  Throughout  the  first  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
second  century,  "the  Christian  churches  were  independent  of 
each  other;  nor  were  they  joined  together  by  association,  con- 
federacy, or  other  bonds  but  those  of  charity.  Each  Christian 
assembly  was  a  little  state,  governed  by  its  own  laws,  which 
were  either  enacted,  or,  at  least,  approved  by  the  society."— 
(Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  II,  Part  II,  ch.  2:2.) 

5.  As  with  the  churches,  so  with  their  bishops,— there  was  a 
recognized  equality  among  them.  Late  in  the  second,  and 
throughout  the  third  century,  however,  marked  distinctions  and 
recognitions  of  rank  arose  among  the  bishops,  those  of  large  and 
wealthy  cities  assuming  authority  and  dignity  above  that  ac- 
corded by  them  to  the  bishops  of  the  country  provinces.  The 
bishops  of  the  largest  cities  or  provinces,  took  to  themselves  the 
distinguished  title  of  Metropolitans,— (See  Mosheim,  "Eccl. 
Hist.,"  Cent.  II,  Part  II,  ch.  2:3;  also  Cent.  IV,  Part  II,  ch.  2:3, 
and  compare  Cent.  I,  Part  II,  ch.  2:14.)  and  assumed  a  power 
of  presidency  over  the  bishops  of  more  limited  jurisdiction. 

6.  The  second  century  was  marked  by  the  custom  of  hold- 
ing synods  or  church  councils;  the  practice  originated  among  the 
churches  in  Greece,  and  thence  became  general.  These  councils 
grew  rapidly  in  power,  so  that  in  the  third  century  we  find  them 
legislating  for  the  churches,  and  directing  by  edict  and  com- 
mand in  matter  which  formerly  had  been  left  to  the  vote  of  the 
people.  Needless  to  say  that  with  such  assumptions  of  authority 
came  arrogance  and  tyranny  in  the  government  of  the  Church. 
As  the  form  of  church  government  changed  more  and  more, 
many  minor  orders  of  clergy  or  church  officers  arose;  thus  in  the 
third  century  we  read  of  sub-deacons,  acoyltes,  ostiars,  readers, 
exorcists,  and  copiates.  As  an  instance  of  the  pride  of  office,  it  is 
worthy  of  note  that  a  sub-deacon  was  forbidden  to  sit  in  the 
presence  of  a  deacon  without  the  latter's  express  consent. 

7.  Rome,  so  long  the  "mistress  of  the  world"  in  secular 
affairs,  arrogated  to  herself  a  pre-eminence  in  church  matters, 
and  the  bishop  of  Rome  claimed  supremacy.  It  is  doubtless 
true  that  the  church  at  Rome  was  organized  by  Peter  and  Paul. 
Tradition,  founded  on  error,  said  that  the  aposUe  Peter  was  the 


100 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


first  bishop  of  Rome;  and  those  who  successively  were  acknowl- 
edged as  bishops  of  the  metropolis  claimed  to  be,  in  fact,  lineal 
successors  of  the  presiding  apostle.  The  high  but  none  the  less 
false  claim  is  made  by  the  Catholic  Church  in  this  day,  that 
the  present  pope  is  the  last  lineal  successor— not  alone  to  the 
bishopric  but  to  the  apostleship. 

8.  The  rightful  supremacy  of  the  bishops  of  Rome,  or  Ro- 
man pontiffs  as  they  came  to  be  known,  was  early  questioned; 
and  when  Constantine  made  Ryzantium,  or  Constantinople,  the 
capital  of  the  empire,  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  claimed 
equality.  The  dispute  divided  the  Church,  and  for  five  hundred 
years  the  dissension  increased  until  the  ninth  century  (855  A.  D.) 
it  developed  into  a  great  disruption,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  bishop  of  Constantinople,  known  distinctively  as  the  patri- 
arch, disavowed  all  further  allegience  to  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
otherwise  known  as  the  Roman  pontiff.  This  disruption  is 
marked  today  by  the  distinction  between  Roman  Catholics. 

9.  The  election  of  pontiff,  or  bishop  of  Rome,  was  long 
left  to  the  vote  of  the  people  and  clergy;  later  the  electoral 
function  was  vested  in  the  clergy  alone;  and  in  the  eleventh 
century  the  power  was  lodged  in  the  college  of  cardinals,  where 
it  remains  vested  today.  The  Roman  pontiffs  strove  with  un- 
remitting zeal  to  acquire  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual  authority; 
and  their  influence  had  become  so  great  that  in  the  eleventh 
century  we  find  them  claiming  the  right  to  direct  princes,  kings, 
and  emperors  in  the  affairs  of  the  several  nations.  It  was  at  this, 
the  early  period  of  their  greatest  temporal  power,  that  the 
pontiff's  took  the  title  of  pope,  the  word  meaning  literally  papa 
or  father,  and  applied  in  the  sense  of  universal  parent.  The 
power  of  the  popes  was  increased  during  the  twelfth  century, 
and  may  be  said  to  have  reached  its  height  in  the  thirteenth 
century. 

10.  Not  content  with  assumed  supremacy  in  all  church  af- 
fairs, the  popes  "varied  their  insolent  pretensions  so  far  as  to 
give  themselves  out  for  lords  of  the  universe,  arbiters  of  the  fate 
of  kingdoms  and  empires,  and  supreme  rulers  over  the  kings 
and  princes  of  the  earth."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  XI, 
Part  II,  ch.  2:2.)  They  claimed  the  right  to  authorize  and  direct 
in  the  internal  affairs  of  nations,  and  to  make  lawful  the  re- 
bellion of  subjects  against  their  rulers  if  the  latter  failed  to 
keep  favor  with  the  papal  power. 


THE  BISHOPS  OF  ROME 


10] 


11.  Compare  this  arrogant  and  tyrannical  church  of  the 
world  with  the  Church  of  Christ.  Unto  Pilate  our  Lord  declared, 
"My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."— (John  18:36.)  and  on  an 
earlier  occasion,  when  the  people  would  have  proclaimed  Him 
king  with  earthly  dominion,— (John  6:15.)  He  departed  from 
them.  Yet  the  Church  that  boasts  of  its  divine  origin  as  founded 
by  the  Christ,  who  would  not  be  a  king,  lifts  itself  above  all 
kings  and  rulers,  and  proclaims  itself  the  supreme  power  in  the 
affairs  of  nations. 

12.  In  the  fourth  century  the  Church  had  promulgated 
what  has  been  since  designated  as  an  infamy,  viz.:  that  "errors  in 
religion,  when  maintained  and  adhered  to  after  proper  admoni- 
tion, were  punishable  with  civil  penalties,  and  corporal  tor- 
tures."— (Mosheim,  "Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  IV,  Part  II,  ch.  3:16.)  The 
effect  of  this  unjust  rule  appeared  as  more  and  more  atrocious 
with  the  passage  of  the  years,  so  that  in  the  eleventh  century, 
and  later,  we  find  the  Church  imposing  punishment  of  fine, 
imprisonment,  bodily  torture,  and  even  death,  as  penalties  for 
infraction  of  church  regulations,  and,  more  infamous  still,  pro- 
viding for  mitigation  or  annulment  of  such  sentences  on  pay- 
ment of  money.  This  led  to  the  shocking  practice  of  selling  in- 
dulgences or  pardons,  which  custom  was  afterwards  carried  to 
the  awful  extreme  of  issuing  such  before  the  commission  of  the 
specific  offense,  thus  literally  offering  for  sale  licenses,  to  sin, 
with  assurance  of  temporal  and  promise  of  spiritual  immunity. 

13.  The  granting  of  indulgences  as  exemptions  from  tem- 
poral penalties  was  at  first  confined  to  the  bishops  and  their 
agents,  and  the  practice  dates  as  an  organized  traffic  from  about 
the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century.  It  remained  for  the  popes, 
however,  to  go  to  the  blasphemous  extreme  of  assuming  to  remit 
the  penalties  of  the  hereafter  on  payment  of  the  sums  pre- 
scribed. Their  pretended  justification  of  the  impious  assumption 
was  as  horrible  as  the  act  itself,  and  constitutes  the  dreadful 
doctrine  of  supererogation. 

14.  As  formulated  in  the  thirteenth  century,  this  doctrine 
was  thus  set  forth:  "That  there  actually  existed  an  immense 
treasure  of  merit,  composed  of  the  pious  deeds  and  virtuous  ac- 
tions which  the  saints  had  performed  beyond  ichat  ivas  neces- 
sary for  their  own  salvation,  and  which  were  therefore  applic- 
able to  the  benefit  of  others;  that  the  guardian  and  dispenser 
of  this  precious  treasure  was  the  Roman  pontiff,  and  that  of  con- 


102 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


sequence  he  was  empowered  to  assign  to  such  as  he  thought 
proper  a  portion  of  this  inexhaustible  source  of  merit,  suitable 
to  their  respective  guilt,  and  sufficient  to  deliver  them  from  the 
punishment  due  to  their  crimes."— (As  cited  by  Mosheim;  see 
"Eccl.  Hist.,"  Cent.  XII,  Part  II,  ch.  3:4.) 

15.  The  doctrine  of  supererogation  is  as  unreasonable  as  it 
is  unscriptural  and  untrue.  Man's  individual  responsibility  for 
his  acts  is  as  surely  a  fact  as  is  his  agency  to  act  for  himself. 
He  will  be  saved  through  the  merits  and  by  the  atoning  sacrifice 
of  our  Redeemer  and  Lord;  and  his  claim  upon  the  salvation 
provided  is  strictly  dependent  on  his  compliance  widi  the  prin- 
ciples and  ordinances  of  the  gospel  as  established  by  Jesus 
Christ.  Remission  of  sins  and  the  eventual  salvation  of  the 
human  soul  are  provided  for;  but  these  gifts  of  God  are  not 
to  be  purchased  with  money.  Compare  the  awful  fallacies  of 
supererogation  and  the  blasphemous  practice  of  assuming  to  re- 
mit sins  of  one  man  in  consideration  of  the  merits  of  another, 
with  the  declaration  of  the  one  and  only  Savior  of  mankind: 
"But  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak, 
they  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment."— (Matt. 
12:36.)  His  inspired  apostle,  seeing  in  prophetic  vision  the 
day  of  awful  certainty,  solemnly  testifies,  "And  I  saw  the  dead, 
small  and  great,  stand  before  God;  and  the  books  were  opened: 
and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life:  and 
the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  written 
in  the  books,  according  to  their  works.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the 
dead  which  were  in  it;  and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead 
which  were  in  them:  and  they  were  judged  every  man  according 
to  their  works."— (Rev.  20:12,  13.  Italics  intro.) 

16.  The  scriptures  proclaim  the  eternal  fact  of  individual 
accountability;— (For  a  concise  treatment  of  the  doctrine  of 
man's  responsibility  see  the  author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture 
3.)  the  Church  in  the  days  of  its  degeneracy  declares  that  the 
merit  of  one  may  be  bought  by  another  and  paid  for  in  worldly 
coin.  Can  such  a  Church  be  in  any  measure  the  Church  of 
Christ? 

17.  In  illustration  of  the  indulgences  as  sold  in  Germany  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  we  have  the  record  of  the  doings  of  John 
Tetzel,  agent  of  the  pope,  who  traveled  about  selling  forgiveness 
of  sins.  Says  Milner:  "Myconius  assures  us  that  he  himself  heard 
Tetzel  declaim  with"  incredible  effrontery  concerning  the  un- 


PAPAL  INDULGENCES 


103 


limited  power  of  the  pope  and  the  efficacy  of  indulgences.  The 
people  believed  that  the  moment  any  person  had  paid  the  mon- 
ey for  the  indulgence  he  became  certain  of  his  salvation;  and 
that  the  souls  for  whom  the  indulgences  were  bought  were  in- 
stantly released  out  of  purgatory.  0  °  *  John  Tetzel  boasted  that 
he  had  saved  more  souls  from  hell  by  his  indulgences  than  St. 
Peter  had  converted  to  Christianity  by  his  preaching.  He  assured 
the  purchasers  of  them,  their  crimes,  however  enormous,  would 
be  forgiven;  whence  it  became  almost  needless  for  him  to  bid 
them  dismiss  all  fears  concerning  their  salvation.  For,  remission 
of  sins  being  fullv  obtained,  what  doubt  could  there  be  of  salva- 
tion?"-(Milner,  "History  of  the  Church,"  Cent.  XVI,  ch.  2.) 

18.  A  copy  of  an  indulgence  written  by  the  hand  of  Tetzel, 
the  vendor  of  popish  pardons,  has  been  preserved  to  us  as  fol- 
lows: "May  our  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  have  mercy  upon  thee  and 
absolve  thee  by  the  merits  of  His  most  holy  passion.  And  I,  by 
His  authority,  that  of  His  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  the 
most  holy  pope  granted  and  committed  to  me  in  these  parts,  do 
absolve  thee,  first  from  all  ecclesiastical  censures,  in  whatever 
manner  they  have  been  incurred;  and  then  from  all  the  sins, 
transgressions,  and  excesses,  how  enormous  soever  they  may  be, 
even  for  such  are  reserved  for  the  cognizance  of  the  holy  see; 
and  as  far  as  the  keys  of  the  holy  church  extend,  I  remit  to  thee 
all  the  punishment  which  thou  deservest  in  purgatory  on  their 
account;  and  I  restore  thee  to  the  holy  sacraments  of  the  church, 
to  the  unity  of  the  faithful,  and  to  that  innocence  and  purity 
which  thou  possessedest  at  baptism;  so  that  when  thou  diest,  the 
gates  of  punishment  shall  be  shut,  and  the  gates  of  the  paradise 
of  delight  shall  be  opened;  and  if  thou  shalt  not  die  at  present, 
this  grace  shall  remain  in  full  force  when  thou  art  at  the  point  of 
death.  In  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."-(Milner,  "Church  History,"  Cent.  XVI,  ch.  2.) 

19.  By  way  of  excuse  or  defense,  it  has  been  claimed  for  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  that  a  profession  or  contrition  or  re- 
pentence  was  required  of  every  applicant  for  indulgence,  and 
that  the  pardon  was  issued  on  the  basis  of  such  penitence,  and 
not  primarily  for  money  or  its  equivalent;  but  that  recipients  of 
indulgences,  at  first  voluntarily,  and  later  in  compliance  with 
established  custom,  made  a  material  offering  or  donation  to 
the  Church.  It  is  reported,  moreover,  that  some  of  the  abuses 
with  which  the  selling  of  indulgences  had  been  associated  were 


106 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


completely  wanting  it  was  of  any  mark  of  the  divine  construc- 
tion and  care— the  offspring  of  man,  not  of  God,  and  therefore 
bearing  upon  it  the  lineaments  of  human  passions,  human  vir- 
tues, and  human  sins."— (Draper,  "Intellectual  Development  of 
Europe;"  Vol.  1,  p.  382.) 

25.  By  increasing  changes  and  unauthorized  alterations  in 
organization  and  government,  the  earthly  establishment  known 
as  "the  Church"  with  popes,  cardinals,  abbots,  friars,  monks, 
exorcists,  acolytes,  etc.,  lost  all  semblence  to  the  Church  as  es- 
tablished by  Christ  and  maintained  by  His  apostles.  The  Catho- 
lic argument  that  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted  succession  of 
authority  in  the  priesthood  from  the  Apostle  Peter  to  the  present 
occupant  of  the  papal  throne,  is  untenable  in  the  light  of  history, 
and  unreasonable  in  the  light  of  fact.  Authority  to  speak  and 
act  in  the  name  of  God,  power  to  officiate  in  the  saving  ordi- 
nances of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  the  high  privilege  of  serving  as 
a  duly  commissioned  ambassador  of  the  court  of  Heaven,— these 
are  not  to  be  had  as  the  gifts  of  princes,  nor  are  they  to  be 
bought  for  money,  nor  can  they  be  won  as  trophies  of  the  bloody 
sword.  The  history  of  the  papacy  is  the  condemnation  of  the 
Church  of  Rome.— (See  Notes  2  and  3,  end  of  chapter.) 

NOTES 

1.  The  Roman  Church  Responsible  for  the  Traffic  in  "Indulgences." 
In  view  of  the  claim  asserted  by  some  defenders  of  the  Roman  Church,  to 
the  effect  that  the  shameful  traffic  in  indulgences  was  not  sanctioned  by 
the  church,  and  that  the  church  cannot  be  held  accountable  for  the  ex- 
cesses to  which  its  subordinates  may  go  in  their  alleged  official  acts,  the 
following  remarks  by  Milner,  the  judicious  authority  on  Church  History 
(Cent.  XVI,  chap.  2),  may  be  of  interest:  "It  does  not  appear  that  the 
rulers  of  the  hierarchy  ever  found  the  least  fault  with  Tetzel  as  exceeding 
his  commission,  till  an  opposition  was  openly  made  to  the  practice  of  in- 
dulgences. Whence  it  is  evident,  that  the  protestants  have  not  unjustly 
censured  the  corruption  of  the  court  of  Rome  in  this  respect.  0  0  *  The 
indulgences  were  farmed  to  the  highest  bidders,  and  die  undertakers  em- 
ployed such  deputies  to  carry  on  the  traffic  as  they  thought  most  likely  to 
promote  their  lucrative  views.  The  inferior  officers  concerned  in  this  com- 
merce were  daily  seen  in  public  houses  enjoying  themselves  in  riot  and 
voluptuousness  (  Maimbourg,  p.  11 ).  In  fine,  whatever  the  greatest  enemy 
of  popery  could  have  wished,  was  at  that  time  exhibited  with  the  most 
undisguised  impudence  and  temerity,  as  if  on  purpose  to  render  that 
wicked  ecclesiastical  system  infamous  before  all  mankind." 

The  author  proceeds  to  comment  on  the  graded  prices  by  which 
these  indulgences  were  placed  within  the  pecuniary  reach  of  all  classes, 
and  finds  in  the  wholesale  traffic  proof  of  profound  ignorance  and  dire 
superstition,  and  then  points  out  the  need  of  a  new  gospel  dispensation  as 


NOTES 


107 


follows:  This,  however,  was  the  very  situation  of  things  which  opened  the 
way  for  the  reception  of  the  gospel.  But  who  was  to  proclaim  the  gospel 
in  its  native  beauty  and  simplicity?  The  princes,  the  bishops,  and  the 
learned  men  of  the  times  saw  all  this  scandalous  traffic  respecting  the 
pardon  of  sins;  but  none  was  found  who  possessed  the  knowledge,  the 
courage,  and  the  honesty,  necessary  to  detect  the  fraud,  and  to  lay  open  to 
mankind  the  true  doctrine  of  salvation  by  the  remission  of  sins  through 
Jesus  Christ."  Milner  finds  the  inauguration  of  a  new  era  in  the  "reforma- 
tion" during  the  sixteenth  century.  It  is  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose 
to  know  that  he  recognized  the  need  of  preparation  whereby  the  way 
would  be  opened  '"for  the  reception  of  the  gospel."  ( Milner,  "Ch.  Hist.," 
Cent.  XVI,  ch.  2;  italics  introduced.) 

2.  Three  Popes  at  One  Time.  "One  of  the  severest  blows  given  both 
the  temporal  and  the  spiritual  authority  of  the  popes,  was  the  removal,  in 
1309,  through  the  influence  of  the  French  king,  Philip  the  Fair,  of  the 
papal  chair  from  Rome  to  Avignon,  in  Provence,  near  the  frontier  of 
France.  Here  it  remained  for  a  space  of  about  seventy  years,  an  era  known 
in  church  history  as  the  Babylonian  Captivity.  While  it  was  established 
here,  all  the  popes  were  French,  and  of  course  all  their  policies  were 
shaped  and  controlled  by  the  French  kings.  0  0  0  The  discontent  awak- 
ened among  the  Italians  by  the  situation  of  the  papal  court  at  length  led 
to  an  open  rupture  between  them  and  the  French  party.  In  1378  the  op- 
posing factions  each  elected  a  pope,  and  thus  were  two  heads  of  the 
church,  one  at  Avignon  and  the  other  at  Rome.  The  spectacle  of  two  rival 
popes,  each  claiming  to  be  the  rightful  successor  of  St.  Peter,  and  the 
sole  infallible  head  of  the  church,  very  naturally  led  men  to  question  the 
claims  and  infallibility  of  both.  It  gave  the  reverence  which  the  world  had 
so  generally  held  for  the  Roman  See  a  rude  shock,  and  one  from  winch 
it  never  recovered.  Finally,  in  1409,  a  general  council  of  the  church  as- 
sembled at  Pisa,  for  the  purpose  of  composing  the  shameful  quarrel.  The 
council  deposed  both  popes,  and  elected  Alexander  V  as  the  supreme  head 
of  the  church.  But  matters,  instead  of  being  mended  hereby,  were  only 
made  worse;  for  neither  of  the  deposed  pontiffs  would  lay  down  his  auth- 
ority in  obedience  to  the  demands  of  the  council,  and  consequently  there 
were  now  three  popes  instead  of  two.  In  1414  another  council  was  called, 
at  Constance,  for  the  settlement  of  the  growing  dispute.  Two  of  the  claim- 
ants were  deposed  and  one  resigned.  A  new  pope  was  then  elected— Pope 
Martin  V.  In  his  person  the  Catholic  world  was  again  united  under  a  single 
spiritual  head.  The  schism  was  outwardly  healed,  but  the  wound  had  been 
too  deep  not  to  leave  permanent  marks  upon  the  church."  (P.  V.  N. 
Meyers,  "Gen.  Hist.,"  pp.  457,  458.  Italics  introduced.) 

The  rupture  between  the  French  and  Italian  factions,  referred  to  by 
Meyers  in  the  quotation  given  above,  is  known  in  history  as  the  Great 
Schism.  It  may  be  regarded  as  the  decisive  beginning  of  decline  in  the 
temporal  power  of  the  popes. 

3.  The  Papacy  Condemns  Itself.  The  line  of  succession  in  the  papacy 
for  a  limited  period,  as  referred  to  in  the  text,  is  given  by  Draper  as 
follows: 

"To  some  it  might  seem,  considering  the  interests  of  religion  alone, 
desirable  to  omit  all  biographical  reference  to  the  popes;  but  this  cannot 
be  done  with  justice  to  the  subject.  The  essential  principle  of  the  papacy, 


108 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


that  the  Roman  pontiff  is  the  vicar  of  Christ  upon  earth,  necessarily  ob- 
trudes his  personal  relations  upon  us.  How  shall  we  understand  his  faith 
unless  we  see  it  illustrated  in  his  life?  Indeed,  the  unhappy  character  of 
those  relations  was  the  inciting  cause  of  the  movements  in  Germany, 
France,  and  England,  ending  in  the  extinction  of  the  papacy  as  an  actual 
political  power,  movements  to  be  understood  only  through  a  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  private  lives  and  opinions  of  the  popes.  It  is  well,  as 
far  as  possible,  to  abstain  from  burdening  systems  with  the  imperfections 
of  individuals.  In  this  case  they  are  inseparably  interwoven.  The  signal 
peculiarity  of  the  papacy  is  that,  though  its  history  may  be  imposing,  its 
biography  is  infamous.  I  shall,  however,  forbear  to  speak  of  it  in  this  lat- 
ter respect  more  than  the  occasion  seems  necessarily  to  require;  shall 
pass  in  silence  some  of  those  cases  which  would  profoundly  shock  my  reli- 
gious reader,  and  therefore  restrict  myself  to  the  ages  between  the  middle 
of  the  eighth  and  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  centuries,  excusing  myself  to 
the  impartial  critic  by  die  apology  that  these  were  the  ages  with  which  I 
have  been  chiefly  concerned  in  this  chapter. 

"On  the  death  of  Pope  Paul  I,  who  had  attained  the  pontificate  A.D. 
757,  the  Duke  of  Nephi  compelled  some  bishops  to  consecrate  Constan- 
tine,  one  of  his  brothers,  as  pope;  but  more  legitimate  electors  subse- 
quently, A.D.  768,  choosing  Stephen  IV,  the  usurper  and  his  adherents 
were  severely  punished;  the  eyes  of  Constantine  were  put  out;  the  tongue 
of  the  Bishop  Theodorus  was  amputated,  and  he  was  left  in  a  dungeon  to 
expire  in  the  agonies  of  thirst.  The  nephews  of  Pope  Adrian  seized  his  suc- 
cessor, Pope  Leo  III,  A.D.  769,  in  the  street,  and,  forcing  him  into  a  neigh- 
boring church,  attempted  to  put  out  his  eyes  and  cut  out  his  tongue;  at  a 
later  period,  this  pontiff,  trying  to  suppress  a  conspiracy  to  depose  him, 
Rome  became  the  scene  of  rebellion,  murder  and  conflagration.  His  suc- 
cessor, Stephen  V,  A.D.  816,  was  ignominiously  driven  from  the  city;  his 
successor,  Paschal  I,  was  accused  of  blinding  and  murdering  two  ecclesi- 
astics in  the  Lateran  Palace;  it  was  necessary  that  imperial  commissioners 
should  investigate  the  matter,  but  the  pope  died,  after  having  exculpated 
himself  by  oath  before  thirty  bishops.  John  VIII,  A.D.  872,  unable  to 
resist  the  Mohammedans,  was  compelled  to  pay  them  tribute;  the  Bishop 
of  Naples,  maintaining  a  secret  alliance  with  them,  received  his  share  of 
the  plunder  they  collected.  Him  John  excommunicated,  nor  would  he  give 
him  absolution  unless  lie  would  betray  the  chief  Mohammedans  and  assas- 
sinate others  himself.  There  was  an  ecclesiastical  conspiracy  to  murder  the 
pope;  some  of  the  treasures  of  the  church  were  seized;  and  the  gate  of 
St.  Pancrazia  was  opened  with  false  keys,  to  admit  the  Saracens  into  the 
city.  Formosus,  who  had  been  engaged  in  these  transactions,  and  excom- 
municated as  a  conspirator  for  the  murder  of  John,  was  subsequently 
elected  pope,  A.D.  891;  he  was  succeeded  by  Boniface  VI,  A.D.  896,  who 
had  been  deposed  from  the  diaonate,  and  again  from  the  priesthood,  for 
his  immoral  and  lewd  life.  By  Stephen  VII,  who  followed,  the  dead  body 
of  Formosus  was  taken  from  the  grave  clothed  in  the  papal  habilaments, 
propped  in  a  chair,  tried  before  the  council,  and  the  preposterous  and  in- 
decent scene  completed  by  cutting  off  three  of  the  fingers  of  the  corpse 
and  casting  it  into  the  Tiber;  but  Stephen  himself  was  destined  to  exem- 
plify how  low  the  papacy  had  fallen;  he  was  thrown  into  prison  and  stran- 
gled. In  the  course  of  five  years,  from  A.D.  896  to  A.D.  900,  five  popes 
were  consecrated.  Leo  V,  who  succeeded  in  A.D.  904,  was  in  less  than  two 


NOTES 


109 


months  thrown  into  prison  by  Christopher,  one  of  his  chaplains,  who 
usurped  his  place,  and  who,  in  his  turn,  was  shortly  expelled  from  Rome 
by  Sergius  III,  who,  by  the  aid  of  a  military  force,  seized  the  pontificate, 
A.D.  905.  This  man,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  times,  lived  in  crim- 
inal intercourse  with  the  celebrated  prostitute  Theodora,  who  with  her 
daughters  Marozia  and  Theodora,  also  prostitutes,  exercised  an  extraordi- 
nary control  over  him.  The  love  of  Theodora  was  also  shared  by  John  X: 
she  gave  him  first  the  archbishop  of  Ravenna,  and  then  translated  him  to 
Rome,  A.D.  915,  as  pope.  John  was  not  unsuited  to  the  times;  he 
organized  a  confederacy  which  perhaps  prevented  Rome  from  being  cap- 
tured by  the  Saracens,  and  the  world  was  astonished  and  edified  by  the 
appearance  of  this  warlike  pontiff  at  the  head  of  his  troops.  By  the  love  of 
Theodora,  as  was  said,  he  maintained  himself  in  the  papacy  for  fourteen 
years;  by  the  intrigues  and  hatred  of  her  daughter  Marozia  he  was  over- 
thrown. She  surprised  him  in  the  Lateran  Palace;  killed  his  brother  Peter 
before  his  face;  threw  him  into  prison,  where  he  soon  died,  smothered,  as 
was  asserted,  with  a  pillow.  After  a  short  interval  Marozia  made  her  own 
son  pope  as  John  XI,  A.D.  931.  Many  affirmed  that  Pope  Sergius  was  his 
father,  but  she  herself  inclined  to  attribute  him  to  her  husband,  Alberic, 
whose  brother  Guido  she  subsequently  married.  Another  of  her  sons, 
Alberic,  so  called  from  his  supposed  father,  jealous  of  his  brother,  John, 
cast  him  and  their  mother  Marozia  into  prison.  After  a  time  Alberic's  son 
was  elected  pope,  A.D.  956;  he  assumed  the  title  of  John  XII,  the  amorous 
Marozia  thus  having  given  a  son  and  a  grandson  to  the  papacy.  John  was 
only  nineteen  years  old  when  he  thus  became  the  head  of  Christendom. 
His  reign  was  characterized  by  the  most  shocking  immoralities,  so  that  the 
Emperor  Otho  I  was  compelled  by  the  German  clergy  to  interfere.  A  sy- 
nod was  summoned  for  his  trial  in  the  Church  of  St.  Peter,  before  which  it 
appeared  that  John  had  received  bribes  for  the  consecration  of  bishops; 
that  he  had  ordained  one  who  was  but  ten  years  old  and  had  performed 
that  ceremony  over  another  in  a  stable;  he  was  charged  with  incest  with 
one  of  his  father's  concubines,  and  with  so  many  adulteries  that  the  Lat- 
eran Palace  had  become  a  brothel;  he  put  out  the  eyes  of  one  ecclesiastic, 
and  castrated  another,  both  dying  in  consequence  of  their  injuries;  he 
was  given  to  drunkenness,  gambling  and  the  invocation  of  Jupiter  and 
Venus.  When  cited  to  appear  before  the  council,  he  sent  word  that  'he 
had  gone  out  hunting';  and  to  the  fathers  who  remonstrated  with  him,  he 
threateningly  remarked  'that  Judas,  as  well  as  the  other  disciples,  received 
from  his  Master  the  power  of  binding  and  loosing,  but  that  as  soon  as  he 
proved  a  traitor  to  the  common  cause,  the  only  power  he  retained  was  that 
of  binding  his  own  neck.'  Hereupon  he  was  deposed,  and  Leo  VIII  elected 
in  his  stead,  A.D.  963;  but  subsequently  getting  the  upper  hand,  he 
seized  his  antagonists,  cut  off  the  hand  of  one,  the  nose,  finger,  tongue  of 
others.  His  life  was  eventually  brought  to  an  end  by  the  vengeance  of 
a  man  whose  wife  he  had  seduced. 

"After  such  details  it  is  almost  needless  to  allude  to  the  annals  of 
succeeding  popes;  to  relate  that  John  XIII  was  strangled  in  prison;  that 
Boniface  VII  imprisoned  Benedict  VII  and  killed  him  by  starvation;  that 
John  XIV  was  secretly  put  to  death  in  the  dungeons  of  the  Castle  of  St. 
Angelo;  that  the  corpse  of  Boniface  was  dragged  by  the  populace  through 
the  streets.  The  sentiment  of  reverence  for  the  sovereign  pontiff,  nay,  even 


L08 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


that  the  Roman  pontiff  is  the  vicar  of  Christ  upon  earth,  necessarily  ob- 
trudes his  personal  relations  upon  us.  How  shall  we  understand  his  faith 
unless  we  see  it  illustrated  in  his  life?  Indeed,  the  unhappy  character  of 
those  relations  was  the  inciting  cause  of  the  movements  in  Germany, 
France,  and  England,  ending  in  the  extinction  of  the  papacy  as  an  actual 
political  power,  movements  to  be  understood  only  through  a  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  private  lives  and  opinions  of  the  popes.  It  is  well,  as 
far  as  possible,  to  abstain  from  burdening  systems  with  the  imperfections 
of  individuals.  In  this  case  they  are  inseparably  interwoven.  The  signal 
peculiarity  of  the  papacy  is  that,  though  its  history  may  be  imposing,  its 
biography  is  infamous.  I  shall,  however,  forbear  to  speak  of  it  in  this  lat- 
ter respect  more  than  the  occasion  seems  necessarily  to  require;  shall 
pass  in  silence  some  of  those  cases  which  would  profoundly  shock  my  reli- 
gious reader,  and  therefore  restrict  myself  to  the  ages  between  the  middle 
of  the  eighth  and  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  centuries,  excusing  myself  to 
the  impartial  critic  by  the  apology  that  these  were  the  ages  with  which  I 
have  been  chiefly  concerned  in  this  chapter. 

"On  the  death  of  Pope  Paul  I,  who  had  attained  the  pontificate  A.D. 
757,  the  Duke  of  Nephi  compelled  some  bishops  to  consecrate  Constan- 
tine,  one  of  his  brothers,  as  pope;  but  more  legitimate  electors  subse- 
quently, A.D.  768,  choosing  Stephen  IV,  the  usurper  and  his  adherents 
were  severely  punished;  the  eyes  of  Constantine  were  put  out;  the  tongue 
of  the  Bishop  Theodorus  was  amputated,  and  he  was  left  in  a  dungeon  to 
expire  in  the  agonies  of  thirst.  The  nephews  of  Pope  Adrian  seized  his  suc- 
cessor, Pope  Leo  III,  A.D.  769,  in  the  street,  and,  forcing  him  into  a  neigh- 
boring church,  attempted  to  put  out  his  eyes  and  cut  out  his  tongue;  at  a 
later  period,  this  pontiff,  trying  to  suppress  a  conspiracy  to  depose  him, 
Rome  became  the  scene  of  rebellion,  murder  and  conflagration.  His  suc- 
cessor, Stephen  V,  A.D.  816,  was  ignominiously  driven  from  the  city;  his 
successor,  Paschal  I,  was  accused  of  blinding  and  murdering  two  ecclesi- 
astics in  the  Lateran  Palace;  it  was  necessary  that  imperial  commissioners 
should  investigate  the  matter,  but  the  pope  died,  after  having  exculpated 
himself  by  oath  before  thirty  bishops.  John  VIII,  A.D.  872,  unable  to 
resist  the  Mohammedans,  was  compelled  to  pay  them  tribute;  the  Bishop 
of  Naples,  maintaining  a  secret  alliance  with  them,  received  his  share  of 
the  plunder  they  collected.  Him  John  excommunicated,  nor  would  he  give 
him  absolution  unless  he  would  betray  the  chief  Mohammedans  and  assas- 
sinate others  himself.  There  was  an  ecclesiastical  conspiracy  to  murder  the 
pope;  some  of  the  treasures  of  the  church  were  seized;  and  the  gate  of 
St.  Pancrazia  was  opened  with  false  keys,  to  admit  the  Saracens  into  the 
city.  Formosus,  who  had  been  engaged  in  these  transactions,  and  excom- 
municated as  a  conspirator  for  the  murder  of  John,  was  subsequently 
elected  pope,  A.D.  891;  he  was  succeeded  by  Boniface  VI,  A.D.  896,  who 
had  been  deposed  from  the  diaonate,  and  again  from  the  priesthood,  for 
his  immoral  and  lewd  life.  By  Stephen  VII,  who  followed,  the  dead  body 
of  Formosus  was  taken  from  the  grave  clothed  in  the  papal  habilaments, 
propped  in  a  chair,  tried  before  the  council,  and  the  preposterous  and  in- 
decent scene  completed  by  cutting  off  three  of  the  fingers  of  the  corpse 
and  casting  it  into  the  Tiber;  but  Stephen  himself  was  destined  to  exem- 
plify how  low  the  papacy  had  fallen;  he  was  thrown  into  prison  and  stran- 
gled. In  the  course  of  five  years,  from  A.D.  896  to  A.D.  900,  five  popes 
were  consecrated.  Leo  V,  who  succeeded  in  A.D.  904,  was  in  less  than  two 


NOTES 


109 


months  thrown  into  prison  by  Christopher,  one  of  his  chaplains,  who 
usurped  his  place,  and  who,  in  his  turn,  was  shortly  expelled  from  Rome 
by  Sergius  III,  who,  by  the  aid  of  a  military  force,  seized  the  pontificate, 
A.D.  905.  This  man,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  times,  lived  in  crim- 
inal intercourse  with  the  celebrated  prostitute  Theodora,  who  with  her 
daughters  Marozia  and  Theodora,  also  prostitutes,  exercised  an  extraordi- 
nary control  over  him.  The  love  of  Theodora  was  also  shared  by  John  X: 
she  gave  him  first  the  archbishop  of  Ravenna,  and  then  translated  him  to 
Rome,  A.D.  915,  as  pope.  John  was  not  unsuited  to  the  times;  he 
organized  a  confederacy  which  perhaps  prevented  Rome  from  being  cap- 
tured by  the  Saracens,  and  the  world  was  astonished  and  edified  by  the 
appearance  of  this  warlike  pontiff  at  the  head  of  his  troops.  By  the  love  of 
Theodora,  as  was  said,  he  maintained  himself  in  the  papacy  for  fourteen 
years;  by  the  intrigues  and  hatred  of  her  daughter  Marozia  he  was  over- 
thrown. She  surprised  him  in  the  Lateran  Palace;  killed  his  brother  Peter 
before  his  face;  threw  him  into  prison,  where  he  soon  died,  smothered,  as 
was  asserted,  with  a  pillow.  After  a  short  interval  Marozia  made  her  own 
son  pope  as  John  XI,  A.D.  931.  Many  affirmed  that  Pope  Sergius  was  his 
father,  but  she  herself  inclined  to  attribute  him  to  her  husband,  Alberic, 
whose  brother  Guido  she  subsequently  married.  Another  of  her  sons, 
Alberic,  so  called  from  his  supposed  father,  jealous  of  his  brother,  John, 
cast  him  and  their  mother  Marozia  into  prison.  After  a  time  Alberic's  son 
was  elected  pope,  A.D.  956;  he  assumed  the  title  of  John  XII,  the  amorous 
Marozia  thus  having  given  a  son  and  a  grandson  to  the  papacy.  John  was 
only  nineteen  years  old  when  he  thus  became  the  head  of  Christendom. 
His  reign  was  characterized  by  the  most  shocking  immoralities,  so  that  the 
Emperor  Otho  I  was  compelled  by  the  German  clergy  to  interfere.  A  sy- 
nod was  summoned  for  his  trial  in  the  Church  of  St.  Peter,  before  which  it 
appeared  that  John  had  received  bribes  for  the  consecration  of  bishops; 
that  he  had  ordained  one  who  was  but  ten  years  old  and  had  performed 
that  ceremony  over  another  in  a  stable;  he  was  charged  with  incest  with 
one  of  his  father's  concubines,  and  with  so  many  adulteries  that  the  Lat- 
eran Palace  had  become  a  brothel;  he  put  out  the  eyes  of  one  ecclesiastic, 
and  castrated  another,  both  dying  in  consequence  of  their  injuries;  he 
was  given  to  drunkenness,  gambling  and  the  invocation  of  Jupiter  and 
Venus.  When  cited  to  appear  before  the  council,  he  sent  word  that  'he 
had  gone  out  hunting';  and  to  the  fathers  who  remonstrated  with  him,  he 
threateningly  remarked  'that  Judas,  as  well  as  the  other  disciples,  received 
from  his  Master  the  power  of  binding  and  loosing,  but  that  as  soon  as  he 
proved  a  traitor  to  the  common  cause,  the  only  power  he  retained  was  that 
of  binding  his  own  neck.'  Hereupon  he  was  deposed,  and  Leo  VIII  elected 
in  his  stead,  A.D.  963;  but  subsequently  getting  the  upper  hand,  he 
seized  his  antagonists,  cut  off  the  hand  of  one,  the  nose,  finger,  tongue  of 
others.  His  life  was  eventually  brought  to  an  end  by  the  vengeance  of 
a  man  whose  wife  he  had  seduced. 

"After  such  details  it  is  almost  needless  to  allude  to  the  annals  of 
succeeding  popes;  to  relate  that  John  XIII  was  strangled  in  prison;  that 
Boniface  VII  imprisoned  Benedict  VII  and  killed  him  by  starvation;  that 
John  XIV  was  secretly  put  to  death  in  the  dungeons  of  the  Castle  of  St. 
Angelo;  that  the  corpse  of  Boniface  was  dragged  by  the  populace  through 
the  streets.  The  sentiment  of  reverence  for  the  sovereign  pontiff,  nay,  even 


110 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


of  respect,  had  become  extinct  in  Rome;  throughout  Europe  the  clergy 
were  so  shocked  at  the  state  of  tilings,  that,  in  their  indignation,  they 
began  to  look  with  approbation  on  the  intention  of  the  Emperor  Otho  to 
take  from  the  Italians  their  privilege  of  appointing  the  successor  of  St. 
Peter,  and  confine  it  to  his  own  family.  But  his  kinsman  Gregory  V,  whom 
he  placed  on  the  pontifical  throne,  was  very  soon  compelled  by  the  Ro- 
mans to  fly;  his  excommunications  and  religious  thunders  were  turned  into 
derision  by  them;  they  were  too  well  acquainted  with  the  true  nature  of 
these  terrors;  they  were  living  behind  the  scenes.  A  terrible  punishment 
awaited  the  Anti-Pope  John  XVI.  Otho  returned  into  Italy,  seized  him,  put 
out  his  eyes,  cut  off  his  nose  and  tongue,  and  sent  him  through  the  streets 
mounted  on  an  ass,  with  his  face  to  the  tail,  and  a  winebladder  on  his 
head.  It  seemed  impossible  that  things  could  become  worse,  yet  Rome  had 
still  to  see  Benedict  IX,  A.D.  1033,  a  boy  of  less  than  twelve  years,  raised 
to  the  apostolic  throne.  Of  this  pontiff,  one  of  his  successors,  Victor  III, 
declared  that  his  life  was  so  shameful,  so  foul,  so  execrable,  that  he 
shuddered  to  describe  it.  He  ruled  like  a  captain  of  banditti  rather  than 
a  prelate.  The  people  at  last,  unable  to  bear  his  adulteries,  homicides,  and 
abominations  any  longer,  rose  against  him.  In  despair  of  maintaining  his 
position,  he  put  the  papacy  up  at  auction.  It  was  bought  by  a  presbyter 
named  John,  who  became  Gregory  VI,  A.D.  1045."  (J.  W.  Draper,  "Intel- 
lectual Development  of  Europe,"  Vol.  1,  ch.  XII,  pp.  378-381.) 

4.  Commentary  on  the  Passage  From  II  Thess.  2:3,  4.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  application  of  Paul's  declaration  as  to  the  apostasy 
made  in  the  text,  is  the  one  generally  made  by  theologians  of  Protestant 
denominations.  It  is  no  way  peculiar  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  Let  us  read  the  passage  again:  "Let  no  man  deceive 
you  by  any  means:  for  that  day  [the  day  of  Christ's  promised  advent] 
shall  not  come  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin 
be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition;  who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself 
above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped;  so  that  he  as  God  sit- 
teth  in  the  temple  of  God,  shewing  himself  that  he  is  God." 

In  his  Bible  Commentary,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  says  of  this  scripture: 
"The  general  run  of  Protestant  writers  understand  the  whole  as  referring 
to  the  popes  and  church  of  Rome,  or  the  whole  system  of  the  papacy. 
000  Bishop  Newton  has  examined  the  whole  prophecy  with  his  usual 
skill  and  judgment.  0  0  0  The  principal  part  of  modern  commentators  fol- 
low his  steps.  He  applies  the  whole  to  the  Romish  church:  the  apostasy,  its 
defection  from  the  pure  doctrines  of  Christianity;  and  the  'man  of  sin,  etc. 
the  general  succession  of  the  popes  of  Rome."  An  abridgment  of  Bishop 
Newton's  interpretation  is  then  added;  this,  in  part,  is  as  follows: 

"For  that  day,  shall  not  come  except,  etc.— The  day  of  Christ  shall 
not  come  except  there  come  the  apostasy  first.  The  apostasy  here  de- 
scribed is  plainly  not  of  a  civil,  but  of  a  religious  nature;  not  a  revolt 
from  the  government,  but  a  defection  from  the  true  religion  and  wor- 
ship. 000 

"So  that  He  as  Cod  sitteth  in  the  temple,  etc.— By  the  temple  of  God 
the  aposde  could  not  well  mean  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  because  that,  he 
knew,  would  be  destroyed  within  a  few  years.  After  the  death  of  Christ, 
the  temple  of  Jerusalem  is  never  called  the  temple  of  God;  and,  if  at  any 
time,  they  make  mention  of  the  house  of  God,  they  mean  the  church  in 


NOTES 


111 


general  or  every  particular  believer.  Whoever  will  consult  I  Cor.  3:16,  17; 
II  Cor.  6:16;  I  Tim.  3:15;  Rev.  3:12,  will  want  no  examples  to  prove  that 
under  the  gospel  dispensation,  the  temple  of  God  is  the  Church  of  Christ; 
and  the  man  of  sin's  sitting  implies  his  ruling  and  presiding  there.  000 
"Upon  this  survey,  there  appears  little  room  to  doubt  the  general 
sense  and  meaning  of  the  passage.  The  Thessalonians  ( as  we  have  seen 
from  some  expressions  in  the  former  epistle),  were  alarmed  as  if  the  end 
of  the  world  was  at  hand.  The  aposde,  to  correct  their  mistake  and  dissi- 
pate their  fears,  assures  them  that  a  great  apostasy  or  defection  of  the 
Christians  from  the  true  faith  and  worship  must  happen  before  the  coming 
of  Christ.  The  apostasy,  all  the  concurrent  marks  and  characters  will 
justify  us  in  charging  upon  the  church  of  Rome.  The  true  Christian  wor- 
ship is  the  worship  of  the  only  true  God,  through  the  one  only  Mediator, 
the  Man  Jesus  Christ,  and  from  this  worship  the  church  of  Rome  has 
most  notoriously  departed,  by  substituting  other  mediators,  and  invoking 
and  adoring  saints  and  angels;  nothing  is  apostasy  if  idolatry  be  not.  000 
If  the  apostasy  be  rightly  charged  upon  the  church  of  Rome,  it  follows, 
of  consequence,  that  the  'man  of  sin'  is  the  pope,  not  meaning  any  pope 
in  particular,  but  the  pope  in  general,  as  the  chief  head  and  supporter  of 
this  apostasy." 

The  opinion  of  Dr.  MacKnight  is  also  cited  with  approval  by  Clarke. 
In  his  "Commentary  and  Notes"  (Vol.  Ill,  p.  100,  etc.)  MacKnight  says: 
"As  it  is  said,  the  man  of  sin  was  to  be  revealed  in  his  season,  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  the  dark  ages,  in  which  all  learning  was  overturned  by 
the  irruption  of  the  northern  barbarians,  were  the  season  allotted  to  the 
man  of  sin  for  revealing  himself.  Accordingly  we  know,  that  in  these  ages, 
the  corruptions  of  Christianity,  and  the  usurpations  of  the  clergy,  were  car- 
ried to  the  greatest  height.  In  short,  the  annals  of  the  world  cannot  pro- 
duce persons  and  events  to  which  the  things  written  in  this  passage  can 
be  applied  with  so  much  fitness  as  to  the  bishops  of  Rome." 


CHAPTER  X. 


Results  of  the  Apostasy.— Its  Sequel. 

1.  The  thoroughly  apostate  and  utterly  corrupt  condition  of 
the  Church  of  Rome  as  proclaimed  by  its  history  down  to  the 
end  of  the  fifteenth  century,— (See  Note  1,  end  of  chapter.)  was 
necessarily  accomplished  by  absence  of  all  spiritual  sanctity  and 
power,  whatever  may  have  been  the  arrogant  assumptions  of  the 
Church,  as  to  authority  in  spiritual  affairs.  Revolts  against  the 
Church,  both  as  rebellion  against  her  tyranny  and  in  protest 
against  her  heresies,  were  not  lacking.  The  most  significant 
of  these  anti-church  agitations  arose  in  connection  with  the 
awakening  of  intellectual  activity  which  began  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  fourteenth  century.  The  period  from  the  tenth  century 
onward  to  the  time  of  the  awakening  has  come  to  be  known  as 
the  dark  ages— characterized  by  stagnation  in  the  progress  of  the 
useful  arts  and  sciences  as  well  as  of  fine  arts  and  letters,  and  by 
a  general  condition  of  illiteracy  and  ignorance  among  the 
masses. 

2.  Ignorance  is  a  fertile  soil  for  evil  growths,  and  the  des- 
potic government  and  doctrinal  fallacies  of  the  Church  during 
this  period  of  darkness  were  nourished  by  the  ignorance  of  the 
times.  With  the  change  known  in  history  as  "the  revival  of 
learning"  came  the  struggle  for  freedom  from  church  tyranny. 

3.  One  of  the  early  revolts  against  the  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual despotism  of  the  papal  church  was  that  of  the  Albigenses  in 
France  during  the  thirteenth  century.  This  uprising  had  been 
crushed  by  the  papal  autocracy  with  much  cruelty  and  blood- 
shed. The  next  notable  revolt  was  that  of  John  Wycliffe  in  the 
fourteenth  century.  Wycliffe  was  a  professor  in  Oxford  uni- 
versity, England.  He  boldly  assailed  the  evergrowing  and  great- 
ly abused  power  of  the  monks,  and  denounced  the  corruption  of 
the  Church  and  the  prevalence  of  doctrinal  errors.  He  was  par- 
ticularly emphatic  in  his  opposition  to  the  papal  restrictions  as 
to  the  popular  study  of  the  scriptures,  and  gave  to  the  world  an 
English  version  of  the  Holy  Bible  translated  from  the  Vulgate. 
In  spite  of  persecution  and  sentence,  he  died  a  natural  death; 
but  years  afterward  the  Church  insisted  on  revenge,  and  in  con- 


REVOLTS  AGAINST  THE  CHURCH 


113 


sequence,  his  bones  were  exhumed  and  burned,  and  the  ashes 
scattered  to  the  winds. 

4.  On  the  continent  of  Europe  the  agitation  against  the 
Church  was  carried  on  by  John  Huss  and  by  Jerome  of  Prague, 
both  of  whom  reaped  martyrdom  as  the  harvest  of  their  right- 
eous zeal.  These  instances  are  cited  to  show  that  though  the 
Church  had  long  been  apostate  to  the  core,  there  were  men 
ready  to  sacrifice  their  lives  in  what  they  deemed  to  be  the  cause 
of  truth. 

5.  Conditions  existing  at  the  opening  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury have  been  concisely  summarized  by  a  modern  historian  as 
follows:  "Previous  to  the  opening  of  the  sixteenth  century  there 
had  been  comparatively  few— though  there  had  been  some,  like 
the  Albigenses  in  the  south  of  France,  the  Wycliffites,  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  Hussites,  in  Bohemia— who  denied  the  supreme 
and  infallible  authority  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  in  all  matters 
touching  religion.  Speaking  in  very  general  manner  it  would  be 
correct  to  say  that  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century  all  the 
nations  of  Western  Europe  professed  the  faith  of  the  Latin  or 
Roman  Catholic  Church  and  yielded  obedience  to  the  Papal 
See."- (Myers,  "Gen.  Hist."  p.  520.) 

The  Reformation. 

6.  The  next  notable  revolt  against  the  papal  Church  oc- 
curred in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  assumed  such  proportions 
as  to  be  designated  the  Reformation.  The  movement  began  in 
Germany  about  1517,  when  Martin  Luther,  a  monk  of  the  Au- 
gustinian  order  and  an  instructor  in  the  University  of  Witten- 
berg, publicly  opposed  and  strongly  denounced  Tetzel,  the 
shameless  agent  of  papal  indulgences.  Luther  was  conscientious 
in  his  conviction  that  the  whole  system  of  church  penances  and 
indulgences  was  contrary  to  scripture,  reason,  and  right.  In  line 
with  the  academic  custom  of  the  day— to  challenge  discussion 
and  debate  on  disputed  questions— Luther  wrote  his  famous 
ninety-five  theses  against  the  practice  of  granting  indulgences, 
and  a  copy  of  these  he  nailed  to  the  door  of  Wittenberg  church, 
inviting  criticism  thereon  from  all  scholars.  The  news  spread, 
and  the  theses  were  discussed  in  all  the  scholastic  centers  of 
Europe.  Luther  then  attacked  other  practices  and  doctrines  of 
the  Roman  Church,  and  the  pope,  Leo  X,  issued  a  "Bull"  or 


114 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


papal  decree  against  him,  demanding  an  unconditional  recanta- 
tion on  pain  of  excommunication  from  the  Church.  Luther 
publicly  burned  the  pope's  document,  and  thus  declared  his 
open  revolt.  The  sentence  of  excommunication  was  pronounced. 

7.  We  cannot  follow  here  in  detail  the  doings  of  this  bold 
reformer.  Suffice  it  to  say,  he  was  not  long  left  to  fight  single- 
handed.  Among  his  able  supporters  was  Phillip  Melancthon,  a 
professor  in  Wittenberg.  Luther  was  summoned  before  a  council 
or  "Diet"  at  Worms  in  1521.  There  he  openly  declared  for  indi- 
vidual freedom  of  conscience.  There  is  inspiration  in  his  words: 
"I  cannot  submit  my  faith  either  to  the  pope  or  to  the  council, 
because  it  is  as  clear  as  the  day  that  they  have  frequently  erred 
and  contradicted  each  other.  Unless,  therefore,  I  am  convinced 
by  the  testimony  of  scripture,  or  by  the  clearest  reasoning— 
unless  I  am  persuaded  by  means  of  the  passages  I  have  quoted, 
—and  unless  they  thus  render  my  conscience  bound  by  the  word 
of  God,  I  cannot  and  will  not  retract,  for  it  is  unsafe  for  a 
Christian  to  speak  against  his  conscience.  Here  1  stand,  I  can 
do  no  other,  may  God  help  me!  Amen!" 

8.  The  religious  controversy  spread  throughout  Europe.  At 
the  Second  Diet  of  Spires  ( 1529 )  an  edict  was  issued  against  the 
reformers;  to  this  the  representatives  of  seven  German  principal- 
ities and  other  delegates  entered  a  formal  protest,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  action  the  reformers  were  henceforth  known  as 
Protestants.  John,  Elector  of  Saxony,  supported  Luther  in  his 
opposition  to  papal  authority,  and  undertook  the  establishment 
of  an  independent  church,  the  constitution  and  plan  of  which 
were  prepared  at  his  instance  by  Luther  and  Melancthon. 
Luther  died  in  1546,  but  the  work  of  revolution,  if  not  in  truth 
reformation,  continued  to  grow.  The  Protestants,  however,  soon 
became  divided  among  themselves,  and  broke  up  into  many 
contending  sects. 

9.  In  Switzerland,  Ulrich  Zwingle  led  in  the  movement  to- 
ward reform.  He  was  accused  of  heresy,  and  when  placed  on 
trial,  he  defended  himself  on  the  authority  of  the  Bible  as  against 
papal  edict,  and  was  for  the  time  successful.  The  contest  was 
bitter,  and  in  1531  the  Catholics  and  Protestants  of  the  region 
engaged  in  actual  battle,  in  which  Zwingle  was  slain,  and  his 
body  brutally  mutilated. 

10.  John  Calvin  next  appeared  as  the  leader  of  the  Swiss  re- 
formers, though  he  was  an  opponent  of  many  of  Zwingle's  doc- 


THE  REFORMATION 


115 


trines.  He  exerted  great  influence  as  a  teacher,  and  is  known  as 
an  extremist  in  doctrine.  He  advocated  and  vehemently  defend- 
ed the  tenet  of  absolute  predestination,  thus  denying  the  free 
agency  of  man.  In  France,  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Holland, 
leaders  arose  and  the  Protestants  became  strong  in  their  opposi- 
tion to  the  Roman  Church,  though  the  several  divisions  were 
antagonistic  to  one  another  on  many  points  of  doctrine. 

11.  One  effect  of  this  Protestant  uprising  was  the  partial 
awakening  of  the  Roman  Church  to  the  need  of  internal  reform, 
and  an  authoritative  re-statement  of  Catholic  principles  was  at- 
tempted. This  movement  was  largely  accomplished  through  the 
famous  Council  of  Trent—  (1545-1563),  which  body  disavowed 
for  the  Church  the  extreme  claims  made  for  "indulgences"  and 
denied  responsibility  for  many  of  the  abuses  with  which  the 
Church  had  been  charged.  But  in  connection  with  the  attempted 
reform  came  a  demand  for  more  implicit  obedience  to  the  re- 
quirements of  the  Church. 

12.  Near  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  in  the  reign  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  the  court  of  the  Inquisition,  then  known 
as  the  Holy  Office,  had  been  established  in  Spain.  The  prime 
purpose  of  this  secret  tribunal  was  the  detection  and  punishment 
of  heresy.  Of  this  infamous  institution  as  operative  in  Spain, 
Myers  says:  "The  Holy  Office,  as  the  tribunal  was  styled,  thus 
became  the  instrument  of  the  most  incredible  cruelty.  Thou- 
sands were  burned  at  the  stake,  and  tens  of  thousands  more  con- 
demned to  endure  penalties  scarcely  less  terrible.  Queen  Isa- 
bella, in  giving  her  consent  to  the  establishment  of  the  tribunal  in 
her  dominions,  was  doubtless  actuated  by  the  purest  religious 
zeal,  and  sincerely  believed  that  in  suppressing  heresy  she  was 
discharging  a  simple  duty,  and  rendering  God  good  service.  'In 
the  love  of  Christ  and  His  Maid-Mother,'  she  says,  'I  have 
caused  great  misery.  I  have  depopulated  towns  and  districts, 
provinces  and  kingdoms.'"— (Myers,  "Gen.  Hist."  p.  500.) 

13.  Now,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  in  connection  with  the  at- 
tempted reform  in  the  doctrines  of  Catholicism,  the  terrible  In- 
quisition "assumed  new  vigor  and  activity,  and  heresy  was 
sternly  dealt  with."  Consider  the  following  as  throwing  light  on 
the  condition  of  that  time:  "At  this  point,  in  connection  with 
the  persecution  of  the  Inquisition,  we  should  not  fail  to  recall 
that  in  the  sixteenth  century  a  refusal  to  conform  to  the  estab- 
lished worship  was  regarded  by  all,  by  Protestants  as  well  as 


116 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


Catholics,  as  a  species  of  treason  against  society  and  was  dealt 
with  accordingly.  Thus  we  find  Calvin  at  Geneva  consenting  to 
the  burning  of  Servetus  ( 1553 )  because  he  published  views  that 
the  Calvinists  thought  heretical;  and  in  England  we  see  the 
Anglican  Protestants  waging  the  most  cruel,  bitter,  and  persist- 
ent persecutions,  not  only  against  the  Catholics  but  also  against 
all  Protestants  that  refused  to  conform  to  the  Established 
Church."- (Myers,  "Gen.  Hist."  p.  527.) 

14.  What  shall  be  said  of  a  Church  that  seeks  to  propagate 
its  faith  by  such  methods?  Are  fire  and  sword  the  weapons  with 
which  truth  fights  her  battles?  Are  torture  and  death  the  argu- 
ments of  the  gospel?  However  terrible  the  persecutions  to 
which  die  early  Church  was  subjected  at  the  hands  of  heathen 
enemies,  the  persecutions  waged  by  the  apostate  church  are  far 
more  terrible.  Can  such  a  church  by  any  possibility  be  the 
Church  of  Christ?  Heaven  forbid! 

15.  In  the  revolts  we  have  noted  against  the  Church  of 
Rome,  notably  in  the  Reformation,  the  zeal  of  the  reformers  led 
to  many  fallacies  in  the  doctrines  they  advocated.  Luther,  him- 
self, proclaimed  the  doctrine  of  absolute  predestination  and  of 
justification  by  faith  alone,  thus  nullifying  belief  in  the  God- 
given  rights  of  free  agency,  and  impairing  the  importance  of 
individual  effort.— (See  the  Author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture 
5. )  Calvin  and  others  were  no  less  extreme.  Nevertheless  their 
ministry  contributed  to  the  awakening  of  individual  conscience, 
and  assisted  in  bringing  about  a  measure  of  religious  freedom 
of  which  the  world  had  long  been  deprived.— (See  Note  2,  end 
of  chapter.) 

Rise  of  the  Church  of  England. 

16.  At  the  time  of  Martin  Luther's  revolt  against  the 
Church  of  Rome,  Henry  VIII  reigned  in  England.  In  common 
with  all  other  countries  of  western  Europe,  Britain  was  pro- 
foundly stirred  by  the  reformation  movement.  The  king  openly 
defended  the  Catholic  Church  and  published  a  book  in  opposi- 
tion to  Luther's  claims.  This  so  pleased  the  pope,  Leo  X,  that  he 
conferred  upon  King  Henry  the  distinguishing  tide,  "Defender 
of  the  Faith."  This  took  place  about  1522,  and  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  British  sovereigns  have  proudly  borne  the  title. 

17.  Within  a  few  years  after  his  ascension  to  this  title  of 
distinction,  we  find  King  Henry  among  the  bitterest  enemies  of 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND 


117 


the  Roman  Church,  and  the  change  came  about  in  this  wise. 
Henry  desired  a  divorce  from  his  wife,  Queen  Catherine,  to  give 
him  freedom  to  marry  Anne  Boleyn.  The  pope  hesitated  in  the 
matter  of  granting  the  divorce,  and  Henry,  becoming  impatient, 
disregarded  the  pope's  authority  and  secretly  married  Anne 
Boleyn.  The  pope  thereupon  excommunicated  the  king  from  the 
Church.  The  English  parliament,  following  the  king's  directions, 
passed  the  celebrated  Act  of  Supremacy  in  1534.  This  statute 
declared  an  absolute  termination  of  all  allegiance  to  papal 
authority,  and  proclaimed  the  king  as  supreme  head  of  the 
Church  of  Britain.  Thus  originated  the  Church  of  England, 
without  regard  for  or  claim  of  divine  authority,  and  without 
even  a  semblance  of  priestly  succession. 

18.  At  first  there  was  little  innovation  in  doctrine  or  ritual 
in  the  newly  formed  church.  It  originated  in  revolt.  Later  a 
form  of  creed  and  a  plan  of  organization  were  adopted,  giving 
the  Church  of  England  some  distinctive  features.  During  the 
reigns  of  Edward  VI,  Queen  Mary,  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  perse- 
cutions between  Catholics  and  Protestants  were  extensive  and 
violent.  Several  non-conformist  sects  arose,  among  them  the 
Puritans  and  the  Separatists.  These  were  so  persecuted  that 
many  of  them  fled  to  Holland  as  exiles.  From  among  these 
came  the  notable  colony  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  who  crossed  in 
the  Mayflower  to  the  shores  of  the  then  recently-discovered  con- 
tinent, and  established  themselves  in  America. 

19.  The  thoughtful  student  cannot  fail  to  see  in  the  progress 
of  the  great  apostasy  and  its  results  the  existence  of  an  over- 
ruling power,  operating  toward  eventual  good,  however  mysteri- 
ous its  methods.  The  heart-rending  persecutions  to  which  the 
Saints  were  subjected  in  the  early  centuries  of  our  era,  the 
anguish,  the  torture,  the  bloodshed,  incurred  in  defense  of  the 
testimony  of  Christ,  the  rise  of  an  apostate  church,  blighting  the 
intellect  and  leading  captive  the  souls  of  men— all  these  dread 
scenes  were  foreknown  to  the  Lord.  While  we  cannot  say  or  be- 
lieve that  such  exhibitions  of  human  depravity  and  blasphemy 
of  heart  were  in  accordance  with  the  divine  will,  certainly  God 
willed  to  permit  full  scope  to  the  free  agency  of  man,  in  the 
exercise  of  which  agency  some  won  the  martyr's  crown,  and 
others  filled  the  measure  of  their  iniquity  to  overflowing. 

20.  Not  less  marked  is  the  divine  permission  in  the  revolts 
and  rebellions,  in  the  revolutions  and  reformations,  that  de- 


118 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


veloped  in  opposition  to  the  darkening  influence  of  the  apostate 
church.  Wycliffe  and  Huss,  Luther  and  Melancthon,  Zwingle 
and  Calvin,  Henry  VIII  in  his  arrogant  assumption  of  priestly 
authority,  John  Knox  in  Scotland,  Roger  Williams  in  America— 
these  and  a  host  of  others  builded  better  than  they  knew,  in  that 
their  efforts  laid  in  part  the  foundation  of  the  structure  of  re- 
ligious freedom  and  liberty  of  conscience,— and  this  in  prepara- 
tion for  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  as  had  been  divinely  pre- 
dicted. 

21.  From  the  sixteenth  century  down  to  the  present  time, 
sects  professedly  founded  on  the  tenets  of  Christianity  have  mul- 
tiplied apace.  They  are  now  to  be  numbered  by  hundreds.  On 
every  side  the  claim  has  been  heard,  "Lo,  here  is  Christ,"  or  "Lo. 
there."  There  are  churches  named  after  their  place  of  origin— as 
the  Church  of  England;  other  sects  are  designated  in  honor  of 
their  famous  promoters— as  Lutherans,  Calvinists,  Wesleyans; 
others  are  known  from  some  peculiarity  of  creed  or  doctrine— 
as  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  Baptists;  but  down  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century  there  was  no  church  even 
claiming  name  or  tide  as  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  only  Church 
existing  at  that  time  venturing  to  assert  authority  by  succession 
was  the  Catholic  Church,  which  as  shown  was  wholly  without 
priesdiood  or  divine  commission. 

22.  If  the  "Mother  Church"  be  without  divine  authority  or 
spiritual  power,  how  can  her  children  derive  from  her  the  right 
to  officiate  in  the  things  of  God?  Who  dares  affirm  the  absurd- 
ity that  man  can  originate  for  himself  a  priesthood  which  God 
shall  honor  and  respect.  Granted  that  men  may,  can  and  do, 
create  among  themselves  societies,  associations,  sects,  and 
churches  if  diey  choose  so  to  designate  their  religious  organiza- 
tions; granted  that  they  may  formulate  laws,  prescribe  rules,  and 
construct  elaborate  plans  of  organization  and  government,  and 
that  all  such  laws,  rules  and  schemes  of  administration  are 
binding  upon  those  who  voluntarily  assume  membership,— 
granted  all  these  powers  and  rights— whence  can  such  human 
creations  derive  the  authority  of  the  holy  Priesthood,  without 
which  there  can  be  no  Church  of  Christ?  If  the  power  and  au- 
thority be,  by  any  possibility,  of  human  origin,  there  never  has 
been  a  Church  of  Christ  on  earth,  and  the  alleged  saving  ordi- 
nances of  the  gospel  have  never  been  other  than  empty  forms. 


ABSENCE  OF  PRIESTHOOD 


119 


23.  Our  review  of  the  Great  Apostasy  as  presented  in  this 
treatise,  does  not  call  for  any  detailed  or  critical  study  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  as  it  exists  in  modern  times,  nor  of  any 
of  the  numerous  Protestant  denominations  that  have  come  into 
existence  as  dissenting  children  of  the  so-called  "Mother  Church." 
The  apostasy  was  complete,  as  far  as  actual  loss  of  priesthood 
and  cessation  of  spiritual  power  in  the  Church  are  concerned, 
long  prior  to  the  sixteenth  century  revolt,  known  in  history  as 
the  Reformation.  It  is  instructive  to  observe,  however,  that  the 
weakness  of  the  Protestant  sects  as  to  any  claim  to  divine  ap- 
pointment and  authority,  is  recognized  by  those  churches  them- 
selves. The  Church  of  England,  which,  as  shown,  originated  in 
revolt  against  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  its  pope,  is  with- 
out foundation  of  claim  to  divine  authority  in  its  priestly  orders, 
unless,  indeed,  it  dare  assert  the  absurdity  that  kings  and  parlia- 
ments can  create  and  take  unto  themselves  heavenly  authority 
by  enactment  of  earthly  statutes. 

24.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  at  least  consistent  in  its 
claim  diat  a  line  of  succession  in  the  priesthood  has  been  main- 
tained from  the  apostolic  age  to  the  present,  though  the  claim  is 
utterly  untenable  in  die  light  of  a  rational  interpretation  of 
history.  But  the  fact  remains  that  the  Catholic  Church  is  the 
only  organization  venturing  to  assert  the  present  possession  of 
the  holy  priesthood  by  unbroken  descent  from  the  aposdes  of  our 
Lord.  The  Church  of  England,  chief  among  the  Protestant  sects, 
and  all  other  dissenting  churches,  are  by  their  own  admission 
and  by  the  circumstances  of  their  origin,  man-made  institutions, 
without  semblance  of  claim  to  the  powers  and  authority  of  the 
holy  priesdiood. 

25.  As  late  as  1896  the  question  of  the  validity  of  the 
priestly  orders  in  the  Church  of  England  was  officially  and 
openly  discussed  and  considered,  both  in  England  and  at  Rome. 
Lord  Halifax,  chairman  of  the  English  Church  Union,  conferred 
with  the  Vatican  authorities  to  ascertain  the  possibility  of  bring- 
ing about  closer  union  between  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and 
the  Church  of  England.  This  involved  the  question  of  the  recog- 
nition of  the  priestly  orders  of  the  Anglican  Church  by  the  pope 
and  Church  of  Rome.  The  movement  was  favored  in  the  in- 
terests of  unity  and  peace  by  the  English  premier,  Mr.  Glad- 
stone. The  pope,  Leo  XIII,  finally  issued  a  decree  refusing  to 


120 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


recognize  in  any  degree  the  authority  of  the  Anglican  orders, 
and  expressly  declaring  all  claims  to  priestly  authority  by  the 
Church  of  England  as  absolutely  invalid. 

26.  Assuredly  the  Church  of  Rome  could  take  no  other  ac- 
tion than  this  and  maintain  the  consistency  of  its  own  claim  to 
exclusive  possession  of  the  priesthood  by  descent.  Assuredly  the 
Church  of  England  would  have  sought  no  official  recognition  of 
its  priestly  status  by  the  Church  of  Rome  had  it  any  independent 
claim  to  the  power  and  authority  of  the  priesthood.  The  Roman 
Catholic  Church  declares  that  all  Protestant  denominations  are 
either  apostate  organizations,  or  institutions  of  human  creation 
that  have  never  had  even  a  remote  connection  with  the  church 
that  claims  succession  in  the  priesthood.  In  short,  the  apostate 
"Mother  Church"  aggressively  proclaims  the  perfidy  of  her 
offspring. 

The  Apostasy  Admitted. 

27.  The  fact  of  the  great  apostasy  is  admitted.  Many  theo- 
logians who  profess  a  belief  in  Christianity  have  declared  the 
fact.  Thus  we  read:  "We  must  not  expect  to  see  the  Church  of 
Christ  existing  in  its  perfection  on  the  earth.  It  is  not  to  be 
found  thus  perfect,  either  in  the  collected  fragments  of  Chris- 
tendom or  still  less  in  any  one  of  those  fragments."— (Smith's 
"Dictionary  of  the  Bible.") 

28.  John  Wesley,  who  lived  from  1703  to  1791  A.  D.  and 
who  ranks  as  chief  among  the  founders  of  Methodism,  comments 
as  follows  on  the  apostasy  of  the  Christian  Church  as  evidenced 
by  the  £ arly  decline  of  spiritual  power  and  the  cessation  of  the 
gifts  and  graces  of  the  Spirit  of  God  within  the  Church:  "It  does 
not  appear  that  these  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit— 
( See  I  Cor.,  ch.  12. )  were  common  in  the  Church  for  more  than 
two  or  three  centuries.  We  seldom  hear  of  them  after  that  fatal 
period  when  the  Emperor  Constantine  called  himself  a  Chris- 
tian, and  from  a  vain  imagination  of  promoting  the  Christian 
cause  thereby  heaped  riches  and  power  and  honor  upon  Chris- 
tians in  general,  but  in  particular  upon  the  Christian  clergy. 
From  this  time  they  almost  totally  ceased,  very  few  instances  of 
the  kind  being  found.  The  cause  of  this  was  not,  as  has  been  sup- 
posed, because  there  was  no  more  occasion  for  them,  because 
all  the  world  was  become  Christians.  This  is  a  miserable  mistake; 


THE  APOSTASY  ADMITTED 


121 


not  a  twentieth  part  of  it  was  then  nominally  Christian.  The  real 
cause  of  it  was  that  the  love  of  many,  almost  all  Christians, 
so-called,  was  waxed  cold.  The  Christians  had  no  more  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ  than  the  other  heathens.  The  Son  of  Man,  when 
He  came  to  examine  His  Church,  could  hardly  find  faith  upon 
earth.  This  was  the  real  cause  why  the  extraordinary  gifts  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  were  no  longer  to  be  found  in  the  Christian 
church— because  the  Christians  were  turned  heathens  again,  and 
only  had  a  dead  form  left."— (John  Wesley's  Works.  Vol.  VII, 
89:26-27.  See  Note  3,  end  of  chapter.) 

29.  The  Church  of  England  makes  official  declaration  of 
degeneracy  and  loss  of  divine  authority  in  these  words :  "Laity 
and  clergy,  learned  and  unlearned,  all  ages,  sects,  and  degrees, 
have  been  drowned  in  abominable  idolatry  most  detested  by 
God  and  damnable  to  man  for  eight  hundred  years  and  more."— 
(Church  of  England  "Homily  on  Perils  of  Idolatry,"  p.  3.)  The 
"Book  of  Homilies,"  in  which  occurs  this  declaration  by  the 
Church  of  England,  dates  from  about  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth century.  According  to  this  official  statement,  therefore, 
the  religious  world  had  been  utterly  apostate  for  eight  centuries 
prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  fact 
of  a  universal  apostasy  was  widely  proclaimed,  for  the  homilies 
from  which  the  foregoing  citation  is  taken  were  "appointed  to 
be  read  in  churches"  in  lieu  of  sermons  under  specified  con- 
dition. 

30.  The  great  apostasy  was  divinely  predicted;  its  accom- 
plishment is  attested  by  both  sacred  and  secular  writ. 

31.  To  the  faithful  Latter-day  Saint,  a  concluding  proof  of 
the  universal  apostasy  and  of  the  absolute  need  of  a  restoration 
of  Priesthood  from  the  heavens  will  be  found  in  the  divine  reply 
to  the  inquiry  of  the  boy  prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  to  which  of 
all  the  contending  sects  was  right:  "I  was  answered  that  I  must 
join  none  of  them,  for  they  were  all  wrong:  and  the  personage 
who  addressed  me  said  that  all  their  creeds  were  an  abomination 
in  His  sight;  that  those  professors  were  all  corrupt;  that  'they 
draw  near  to  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me; 
they  teach  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men,  having  a 
form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof.' "—(Pearl 
of  Great  Price,  p.  85,  par.  19.) 


122 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


The  Sequel. 

32.  The  sequel  of  the  Great  Apostasy  is  the  Restoration  of 
the  Gospel,  marking  the  inauguration  of  the  Dispensation  of  the 
Fulness  of  Times.  This  epoch-making  event  occurred  in  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  the  Father  and  the  Son 
manifested  themselves  to  man,  and  when  the  Holy  Priesthood 
with  all  its  powers  and  authority  was  again  brought  to  earth. 

33.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  pro- 
claims to  the  world  this  glorious  restoration,— at  once  the  con- 
summation of  the  work  of  God  throughout  the  ages  past,  and  the 
final  preparation  for  the  second  advent  of  Jesus,  the  Christ.  The 
Church  affirms  that  after  the  long  night  of  spiritual  darkness,  the 
light  of  heaven  has  again  come;  and  that  the  Church  of  Christ 
is  authoritatively  established.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  stands  alone  in  the  declaration  that  the  Holy 
Priesthood  is  operative  upon  earth,  not  as  an  inheritance  through 
earthly  continuation  from  the  apostolic  age,  but  as  the  endow- 
ment of  a  new  dispensation,  brought  to  earth  by  heavenly  min- 
istration. In  this  restoration,  divinely  predicted  and  divinely 
achieved,  has  been  witnessed  a  realization  of  the  Revelator's 
vision: 

"And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having 
the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for 
the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come:  and  worship  him  that  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."— 
(Rev.  14:6,  7.  For  treatment  of  the  Restoration  of  the  Gospel 
see  the  Author's  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  11.  See  Notes  4 
and  5,  end  of  chapter.) 

NOTES 

1.  Papist  Testimony  to  the  Corruption  of  the  Church.  "The  judicious 
student  of  ecclesiastical  history  will  observe  that  I  constantly  endeavor  to 
draw  my  proofs  from  the  most  unexceptionable  sources.  For  example: 
To  prove  the  corrupt  state  of  the  clergy,  and  the  abominable  practices  of 
the  Roman  See,  I  would  produce  the  evidence  of  George  of  Saxony,  a  most 
bigoted  papist,  whom  the  Roman  Catholics  always  reckon  among  the  most 
sincere  and  most  active  of  the  holy  orders  of  their  religion.  Now,  as  with 
them  the  assertions  of  Luther  and  the  other  reformers  go  for  nothing  but 
exaggerations,  misrepresentations,  or  direct  falsehoods,  let  them  listen  at 
least  to  this  duke,  their  steady  friend  and  advocate,  who  generally,  in  reli- 


NOTES 


123 


gious  concerns,  opposed  his  relation,  the  elector  of  Saxony,  and  who  also 
entirely  approved  of  Luther's  condemnation  at  Worms.  This  George  of 
Saxony  exhibited  to  the  Diet  twelve  heads  of  the  grievances  which  called 
loudly  for  reform.  Two  of  these  are  briefly  as  follows:  1.  Indulgences, 
which  ought  to  be  obtained  by  prayers,  fastings,  benevolence  towards  our 
neighbor,  and  other  good  works,  are  sold  for  money.  Their  value  is  extolled 
beyond  all  decency.  The  sole  object  is  to  gain  a  deal  of  money.  Hence  the 
preachers,  who  are  bound  to  set  forth  truth,  teach  men  nothing  but  lies 
and  frauds.  They  are  not  only  suffered  to  go  on  thus,  but  are  well  paid 
for  their  fraudulent  harangues.  The  reason  is  the  more  conviction  they  can 
produce  among  their  hearers,  the  more  money  flows  into  the  chest.  Rivers 
of  scandalous  proceedings  arise  from  this  corrupt  fountain.  The  officials 
of  the  bishops  are  equally  attentive  to  scrape  money  together.  They  vex 
the  poor  with  their  censures  for  great  crimes,  as  whoredom,  adultery, 
blasphemy;  but  they  spare  the  rich.  The  clergy  commit  the  very  same 
crimes,  and  nobody  censures  them.  Faults  which  ought  to  be  expiated  by 
prayers  and  fastings  are  atoned  for  by  money,  in  order  that  the  officials 
may  pay  large  sums  to  their  respective  bishops,  and  retain  a  portion  of 
the  gain  for  themselves.  Neither  when  a  mulct  is  inflicted,  is  it  done  in  a 
way  to  stop  the  commission  of  the  same  fault  in  future,  but  rather  so  that 
the  delinquent  understands  he  may  soon  do  that  very  thing  again,  pro- 
vided he  be  ready  to  pay.  Hence,  all  the  sacraments  are  sold  for  money; 
and  where  that  is  not  to  be  had,  they  are  absolutely  neglected.  2.  Another 
distinct  head  of  the  grievances  produced  by  this  zealous  duke  was  ex- 
pressed thus:  'The  scandalous  conduct  of  the  clergy  is  a  very  fruitful 
source  of  the  destruction  of  poor  souls.  There  must  be  a  universal  reforma- 
tion; and  this  cannot  be  better  effected  than  by  a  general  council.  It  is 
therefore,  the  most  earnest  wish  of  us  all  that  such  a  measure  be  adopted." 
(Milner  ,"Church  History,"  Cent.  XVI,  ch.  6.  Footnote.) 

2.  Extremes  Incident  to  the  Reformation.  "What  were  the  reproaches 
constantly  applied  to  the  Reformation  by  its  enemies?  Which  of  its  re- 
sults are  thrown  in  its  tace,  as  it  were,  unanswerable?  The  two  principal 
reproaches  are,  first,  the  multiplicity  of  sects,  the  excessive  license  of 
thought,  the  destruction  of  all  spiritual  authority,  and  the  entire  disso- 
lution of  religious  society;  secondly,  tyranny  and  persecution.  'You  pro- 
voke licentiousness,'  it  has  been  said  to  the  Reformers:  'you  produce  it; 
and,  after  being  the  cause  of  it,  you  wish  to  restrain  and  repress  it.  And 
how  do  you  repress  it?  Ry  the  most  harsh  and  violent  means.  You  take 
upon  yourselves,  too,  to  punish  heresy,  and  that  by  virtue  of  an  illegitimate 
authority.' "— Guizot. 

"The  Sectarian  dogma  of  Justification  by  Faith  alone  has  exercised  an 
influence  for  evil  since  the  early  days  of  Christianity.  The  idea  upon 
which  this  pernicious  doctrine  was  founded,  was  at  first  associated  with 
that  of  an  absolute  predestination,  by  which  man  was  foredoomed  to  de- 
struction, or  to  an  utterly  undeserved  salvation.  Thus,  Luther  taught  as 
follows:  'The  excellent,  infallible  and  sole  preparation  for  grace,  is  the 
eternal  election  and  predestination  of  God.'  'Since  the  fall  of  man,  free- 
will is  but  an  idle  word.'  'A  man  who  imagines  to  arrive  at  grace  by  doing 
'all  that  he  is  able  to  do,  adds  sins  to  sin,  and  is  doubly  guilty.'  'That 
man  is  not  justified  who  performs  many  works;  but  he  who  without  works 
has  much  faith  in  Christ.'  ( For  these  and  other  doctrines  of  the  Refonna- 


124 


THE  GREAT  APOSTASY 


tion  see  D'Aubigne's  'History  of  the  Reformation,'  Vol.  I,  pp.  82,  83,  119, 
122.)  In  Milner's  'Church  History'  Vol.  IV,  p.  514,  we  read:  'The  point 
which  the  reformer  Luther  had  most  at  heart  in  all  his  labors,  contests 
and  dangers,  was  the  justification  by  faith  alone.'  Melancthon  voices  the 
doctrine  of  Luther  in  these  words:  'Man's  justification  before  God  pro- 
ceeds from  faith  alone.  This  faith  enters  man's  heart  by  the  grace  of  God 
alone';  and  further,  'As  all  things  which  happen,  happen  necessarily,  ac- 
cording to  the  divine  predestination,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  liberty  in 
our  wills.'  ( D'Aubigne,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  340. )  It  is  true  that  Luther  strongly 
denounced,  and  vehemently  disclaimed  responsibility  for,  the  excesses  to 
which  this  teaching  gave  rise,  yet  he  was  not  less  vigorous  in  proclaiming 
the  doctrine.  Note  his  words:  %  Doctor  Martin  Luther,  unworthy  herald 
of  the  doctrine  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  confess  this  article,  that  faith 
alone  without  works  justifies  before  God;  and  I  declare  that  it  shall  stand 
and  remain  forever  in  despite  of  the  emperor  of  the  Romans,  the  emperor 
of  the  Turks,  the  emperor  of  the  Persians,— in  spite  of  the  pope  and  all 
the  cardinals,  with  the  bishops,  priests,  monks  and  nuns,— in  spite  of 
kings,  princes  and  nobles,  and  in  spite  of  all  the  world  and  of  the  devils 
themselves;  and  that  if  they  endeavor  to  fight  against  this  truth  they  will 
draw  the  fires  of  hell  upon  their  heads.  This  is  the  true  and  holy  gospel, 
and  the  declaration  of  me,  Doctor  Luther,  according  to  the  teachings  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.' "  ( See  the  Author's  "Articles  or  Faith,"  Lecture  5, 
Note  2.) 

3.  Diverse  Views  Concerning  Continuance  or  Decline  of  Spiritual 
Gifts.  "Protestant  writers  insist  that  the  age  of  miracles  closed  with  the 
fourth  or  fifth  century,  and  that  after  that  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  must  not  be  looked  for.  Catholic  writers,  on  the  other  hand, 
insist  that  the  power  to  perform  miracles  has  always  continued  in  the 
Church;  yet  those  spiritual  manifestations  which  they  describe  after  the 
fourth  and  fifth  centuries  savor  of  invention  on  the  part  of  the  priests,  and 
childish  credulity  on  the  part  of  the  people;  or  else,  what  is  claimed  to  be 
miraculous  falls  short  of  the  power  and  dignity  of  those  spiritual  mani- 
festations which  the  primitive  Church  was  wont  to  witness.  The  virtues 
and  prodigies,  ascribed  to  the  bones  and  other  relics  of  the  martyrs  and 
saints,  are  puerile  in  comparison  with  the  healings  by  the  anointing  with 
oil  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  speaking  in  tongues,  interpretation,  proph- 
ecies, revelations,  casting  out  of  devils  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ;  to  say 
nothing  of  the  gifts  of  faith,  wisdom,  knowledge,  discerning  of  spirits,  etc. 
-common  in  the  Church  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles  ( I  Cor.  12:8-10).  Nor 
is  there  anything  in  the  scriptures  or  in  reason  that  would  lead  one  to  be- 
lieve that  they  were  to  be  discontinued.  Still  this  plea  is  made  by  mod- 
ern Christians— explaining  the  absence  of  these  spiritual  powers  among 
them— that  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  only  intended 
to  accompany  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel  during  the  first  few  cen- 
turies, until  the  Church  was  able  to  make  its  way  without  them,  and  they 
were  to  be  done  away.  It  is  sufficient  to  remark  upon  this  that  it  is  assump- 
tion pure  and  simple,  and  stands  without  warrant  either  of  scripture  or 
right  reason;  and  proves  that  men  had  so  far  changed  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ  that  it  became  a  form  of  godliness  without  the  power 
thereof."  ( B.  H.  Roberts,  ."Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  Part  II,  Sec. 
5:6-8.) 


NOTES 


125 


4.  Commentary  on  the  Revelator's  Vision  of  the  Restoration.  It  is 
instructive  to  inquire  into  the  interpretation  given  by  Biblical  students  to 
the  prophecy  voiced  by  John  the  Revelator  predicting  the  advent  of  the 
angel  "having  the  everlasting  gospel."  Dr.  Clarke  offers  the  following  re- 
flections on  the  passage:  "And  1  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of 
heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel:  Whether  this  angel  means  any  more 
than  a  particular  dispensation  of  providence  and  grace,  by  which  the  gos- 
pel shall  be  rapidly  sent  through  the  whole  world;  or  whether  it  means 
any  special  messenger,  order  of  preachers,  people,  or  society  of  Chris- 
tians, whose  professed  object  it  is  to  send  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom 
throughout  the  earth,  we  know  not.  But  the  vision  seems  truly  descriptive 
of  a  late  institution,  entitled  'The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,' 
whose  object  it  is  to  print  and  circulate  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  through  all  the  habitable  world,  and  in  all  the  languages 
spoken  on  the  face  of  the  earth."  (Clarke,  "Bible  Commentary,"  Rev. 
14:6.) 

The  learned  commentator  is  to  be  commended  for  his  frank  avowal 
as  to  uncertainty  regarding  the  precise  interpretation  of  this  scripture,  and 
for  the  provisional  and  tentative  manner  in  which  he  indicates  a  possible 
application  to  the  wide  distribution  of  the  Holy  Bible  through  the  efforts 
of  a  most  worthy  and  influential  society.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  Dr.  Clarke 
wrote  his  famous  commentary  on  the  Bible  shortly  before  the  actual  res- 
toration of  the  gospel  through  angelic  agency  which  resulted  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Of  necessity 
his  search  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  prediction  was  unsatisfactory,  and, 
indeed,  unsuccessful,  inasmuch  as  the  fulfillment  had  not  then  occurred. 
The  commendable  work  of  the  Bible  Society  was  a  preparation  for  the 
fuh^llment  of  the  momentous  prophecy,  but  not  the  fulfillment  itself. 

5.  Restoration  of  the  Church.  "In  the  first  ten  centuries  immediately 
following  the  ministry  of  Christ,  the  authority  of  the  priesthood  was  lost 
from  among  men,  and  no  human  power  could  restore  it.  But  the  Lord  in 
His  mercy  provided  for  the  re-establishment  of  His  Church  in  the  last 
days,  and  for  the  last  time,  and  prophets  of  olden  time  foresaw  this  era  of 
renewed  enlightenment,  and  sang  in  joyous  tones  of  its  coming."  (See 
Dan.  2:44,  45;  7:27;  Matt.  24:14;  Rev.  14:6-8.)  "This  restoration  was 
effected  by  the  Lord  through  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  who,  together 
with  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  1829,  received  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  under  the 
hands  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  later  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  under  the 
hands  of  the  former-day  apostles,  Peter,  James  and  John.  By  the  author- 
ity thus  bestowed,  the  Church  has  been  again  organized  with  all  its  former 
completeness,  and  mankind  once  more  rejoices  in  the  priceless  privileges 
of  the  counsels  of  God.  The  Latter-day  Saints  declare  their  high  claim  to 
the  true  Church  organization,  similar  in  all  essentials  to  the  organization 
effected  by  Christ  among  the  Jews;  these  people  of  the  last  days  profess 
to  have  the  priesthood  of  the  Almighty,  the  power  to  act  in  the  name  of 
God,  which  power  commands  respect  both  on  earth  and  in  heaven."  ( The 
Author,  "Articles  of  Faith,"  Lecture  11:12.) 


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